Magnet
by ZabuFanfics
Summary: Upon meeting her old childhood friend, Luka, Miku is drawn to her (like, one could say, a magnet). The two of them can accept the others feelings, but can they face the challenges that face them in sharing a forbidden love? Contains Yuri, Yaoi and some touchy themes.
1. Chapter 1: Wings

_"Big sister! Big sister!"_

_The pink-haired girl turned her attention away from the small bouquet of wild flowers she was gathering to look at her younger, green-haired companion, her long ponytails flowing behind her as she ran_

_"Hm? What is it?" She asked, hiding the flowers behind her back. She'd intended for the colorful arrangement to be a special surprise for the younger girl._

_"Look what I found! Aren't it's wings pretty!" The green-haired girl opened her closed fist, revealing a butterfly. At first she too was taken by it's beauty, but then she noticed that state it's wings were in from having been held so tightly in the younger girl's fists, with one of it's fragile wings pinched between her fingers._

_"Ah! Oh no! You shouldn't hold a butterfly like that!" She gasped, running over, her hands nervously fluttering around the other girl's. There was no way to simply take the poor creature away from her now without hurting it any further, so all she could do was mime her command for the younger girl to release the butterfly._

_"Why?" The green-haired girl asked, looking down at her catch, very much ignorant to its condition._

_"If you handle a butterfly's wings like that it won't be able to fly again!" The pink-haired girl told her sternly, her tone much more angry than before. "Now put it down!" The other girl gasped in fright at both the realization she'd brought the butterfly harm and the fact the pink haired girl had become angry with her. Unsure of what to do, she let the creature fall from her hand and onto the grass where it squirmed and fidgeted helplessly. Even though it had been released, it's wings were far too worse for wear to fly with._

_"Oh no, poor thing…" The pink-haired girl muttered quietly to herself as she knelt down, scooping up the injured butterfly as careful as she could, and in doing so dropped the flowers she had gathered that were scattered by the breeze. The butterfly twitched and jerked around on her palm in a painful, disheartening display. There was nothing she could do but watch as a small lump began to form in her throat for the inevitably doomed insect. But what surprised her even more was the soft sound of sobs. Taking her eyes off the butterfly she looked up to see the younger girl, her eyes glistening with tears. Now aware she was being watched, the green-haired girl furiously wiped at her tears with the back of her hands, sniffling loudly._

_"I'm sorry…" She sobbed, her voice wavering as she spoke. "I…I didn't know…I…" The older girl sighed, the butterfly's hurt wings and her companions hurt feelings taking its toll on her as she stood to her feet. Careful not to drop the butterfly she reached out with one of her hands, resting it on the top of the crying girl's head just as gently as she was handling the injured butterfly._

_"I'm not mad, you didn't know. We all make mistakes, it's alright." She said softly as she felt the tremors of the girl hiccupping under her light touch._

_"W-Will it be able to fly again?" The younger girl sniffled, wiping away yet more tears. The pink-haired girl shook her head, her eyes resting on the butterflies damaged wings once more._

_"I'm afraid it might not be able to, now," she said regrettably, seeing as the green-haired girl's sobs grew in volume in hearing she had hurt the creature beyond repair. Sighing, the older girl reached around, pulling her younger companion close to her, so much she could feel her tears seeping into her sundress. Lightly rubbing her back with one hand while still cradling the butterfly with the other, she softly shushed her, waiting until the younger girl's cries became quieter before she spoke again._

_"The least we can do is make it comfortable, okay?" She asked._

_"…Okay," The younger girl hiccupped, nodding in agreement. Smiling warmly at her, the older girl took her hand, leading her over to a small bunch of bushes. The two of them knelt down as they carefully rested the butterfly beneath the thick clusters of leaves._

_"I'm sorry, mister butterfly," The younger girl sobbed lightly, rubbing at her eyes again that had begun to become red from crying. Her cheeks were also stained with tears and light streaks of mud from having wiped at her face with dirty hands._

_"As long as you're sorry, I'm sure mister butterfly will forgive you," The older girl assured her, using the hem of her dress to wipe at her companion's cheeks. "And if it means anything to you, I've done much worse."_

_"Worse?" The green-haired girl gasped in disbelief. "What did you do?" The older girl smiled bitterly, looking deep into the other girl's eyes._

_"I guess you could say I ripped the wings off a butterfly because I didn't want her to fly away," she told her, sounding sorrowful. "I couldn't bare the thought of her fluttering away to join the other butterflies, so I took away her wings so she could be mine forever… and the worst part is, I'm not sorry."_

_"Why…I don't understand," the younger girl looked up at her in shock and confusion. The older girl shook her head, her pink locks waving in her face._

_"Never mind, just forget it," she sighed, standing to her feet and offering the younger girl a hand. "Maybe you'll understand when you're older."_

* * *

"AH!" Hatsune Miku gasped, bolting up right in her bed. Her sheets and hair flew around her chaotically for a few seconds before coming to rest, messily. Taking a few seconds to let being awake sink in, she looked out her bedroom window. Petals from sakura trees danced lazily in the warm spring breeze, almost hypnotically.

"That dream again," she muttered to herself, slowly lowering herself back into her bed, gathering up the sheets she'd thrown off of her. It used to be the dream would come every so often, so little that every time she had it, it might as well have been new. But now it came to her almost every night since the day she graduated middle school, growing more and more detailed over the break.

She shook her head, trying to busy herself with other thoughts as she rolled over to look at her new high school uniform hanging on her coat rack near her bedroom door. Hours and hours of studying night and day for her entrance exams had paid off generously, and seeing her uniform just waiting to be worn filled her with the sweet feeling of accomplishment.

But then her eyes slowly drifted over to her clock sitting at her bedside table, and all of her feelings of being accomplished vanished like smoke.

"Crap!" She cried, throwing her sheets off of herself as she wildly ran for her door. If she stopped for a second to think about what she was going to do first, she would end up being late for sure. All she could do was frantically run about the house, doing things in a mismatched order of whatever flew into her panicked brain next. She would have run out of the house in her pajamas if her mother hadn't pointed out her error.

"Why didn't you wake me up!?" Miku whined from her bedroom as she hastily changed.

"I tried, but you refused to get up, you stubborn girl," Her mother scolded. Miku groaned in frustration as she hiked up her skirt, hardly even taking the amount of time it took to take a breath to look at herself in the mirror. Her two ponytails were uneven, and it looked like she'd just gotten out of bed (which wasn't much of an exaggeration). She quickly whirled around, desperately wanting to enjoy the moment of looking at herself in the mirror, but she hardly had the time. So, school bag in hand, she rushed down the stairs and bid her mother a quick goodbye as she raced out the door.

"Miku, wait! You forgot your lunch!" She called, but her daughter was already too far away to hear.

After what seemed like hours of running, the high school gates were in sight. Miku's lungs and legs stung and begged for her to take it easy now that the school was in sight and, thanks to her panicked sprint, she had a few minutes to spare before school began. But she ignored their silent pleas as she picked up her pace in the final stretch. But in her exhaustion, her footing had become clumsy, and unevenness in the sidewalk soon became her undoing. Before she knew what had happened she went from running for the school gates to plummeting to the ground below. She hardly even had time to cry out as she caught herself on her knee that was quickly relieved of its top layer of skin by the unmerciful concrete.

"Ow!" Miku whimpered, falling back onto her backside as she fought back tears. She felt her face grow warm as a small number of students passed her by, all watching her like she was some sort of zoo animal that had just done some sort of amusing trick. Embarrassed frown on her face, she began to search through her bag, where she'd messily thrown in what she had needed for the day, for her handkerchief. Perfect, she thought, she'd gotten up late, because of that she had no time to make herself look presentable for her first day of high school and now she'd just made a clumsy fool out of herself. She looked at her bleeding knee angrily, as if it had been the reason her day had started off so mediocre.

"Damn it, where did I put that thing," She muttered to herself, about ready to just pour the contents of her bag onto the sidewalk and find what she needed that way.

"Oh, my, are you hurt!?" She heard someone above her gasp as a shadow fell over her. Miku looked up, her eyes immediately falling on the figure's long, flowing, pink hair that gracefully fluttered in the breeze like the pink petals that swirled above them in the air. Shielding her eyes, Miku came to find it was an older girl wearing the same school uniform as her. Her face was kind and gentle and her soft-looking lips were drawn up in an understanding smile.

"Ah…" Miku's mouth hung open stupidly for a moment, stunned by the older girl's beauty before she got a hold of herself. "Oh, I…I fell, I'm fine," She assured her, going back and fourth between looking at the goddess of a girl who stood before her and back to her black-hole of a school bag. "I just need to find my handkerchief, stupid thing is missing…"

"Here," The older girl said kindly, handing Miku her own.

"What? Oh, no, I couldn't possibly-" Miku gasped.

"Please, take it, it's fine. You need it more than me," She smiled. Miku looked up at her in disbelief, her eyes slowly trailing down to the handkerchief the girl was offering her. After a few moments of jumbled thought she finally reached up, gingerly taking the piece of cloth between her fingers as if it were to rip in two if she held it any rougher. Her cheeks began to feel warm again, but now for a whole new reason.

"Th-Thank you," She stammered, looking up at the girl as if she were her savior.

"Don't mention it," The girl smiled warmly. "Oh, I'd better hurry or I'll be late! You think you'll be fine on your own?"

"Of course," Miku put on a brave smile as she showily rolled up one of her sleeves and jokingly flexed. "I'm tougher than I look!" The older girl lightly chuckled, her fingertips pressed against her lips as she laughed.

"I'm glad," She grinned, straightening up. "Good luck with your knee."

"R…Right…" Miku nodded blushingly as she rubbed the silky fabric of the handkerchief between her fingers. "Wait! What's your-" but before she could ask, the girl had already gone, and was now gathered amongst a group of girls her age who happily greeted her as they disappeared into the school court yard. Miku sighed, looking at the handkerchief and feeling almost bad she'd soon be sullying it with her own blood. A pink "L" was embroidered on the corner of the pure-white surface.

"L…" She said aloud before begrudgingly wrapping it gently around her wounded knee. She made a very bold note in her mind to try and wash the precious piece of cloth, mostly so she could have a reason to seek the pink-haired girl out so they could talk again.

"Oh, there she is!" A happy and relieved voice rang through the courtyard that Miku recognized immediately. Looking up from the pavement she looked to see her two friends from middle school who had applied to the school along with her: Rin and Len. They stood outside a thinning crowd that was gathered around the bulletin boards that addressed which classes they'd been placed in.

"Told you she'd probably get up late," Rin giggled, nudging her twin brother as they both ran up to her.

"What happened to your knee?" Len asked once the two of them reached her.

"Oh, nothing big, I just fell on my way here, that's all." Miku chuckled, embarrassment engraved in her smile.

"That's no surprise," Rin snickered, "You've always been clumsy, of course you'd eat it on your first day of high school, just in case your legend of having no coordination hasn't been heard of yet."

"That's me," Miku sighed, rolling her eyes as the three of them walked over to the bulletin boards. "The master of being clumsy." Looking down at her knee she couldn't help but smile. Maybe being clumsy, for once, had been a good thing.

* * *

The day had gone over without any real incident. Miku had always expected her first day of high school to be amazing and eye opening, but instead things had run smoothly to the point of almost being mundane. Rin and Len had been placed in a separate class, leaving Miku to try and keep her head above water on her first day alone. It seemed that everyone knew everyone else from middle school and she was the only one left outside the loop. It almost seemed intimidating to even consider the thought of infiltrating the small cliques that had already begun to form in the classroom.

But what was more disheartening was the fact she hadn't seen the pink-haired girl from that morning at all. Granted, she hadn't had much time to look all over the school for her, she'd hoped to at least see her once more. All of her chances of getting to see the girl again had rested on when school got out, but she was met with crowds of people asking her to join their club when she had entered the court yard, giving her little chance to even find Rin and Len, let alone the pink-haired girl. That and, by that time, she was so overcome by hunger she couldn't even think straight or put up a fight to make her way through the crowds of people recruiting first years for their clubs, so all she could do was stand there and take whatever flyers were being shoved into her hands

Sighing in defeat she stumbled into her room, exhausted, throwing the disorganized pile of papers onto her bed before flopping down on it herself. Flyers for all sorts of clubs flew up into the air as she crashed against her mattress, then fluttered back to earth and rested on top of her.

"Tomorrow will be better," Miku told herself, rolling over so she could see just what clubs the school had to offer. In middle school she didn't see much of a point and had been a religious member of the "go home" club, but now it seemed being in one would be essential if she wanted to make any new friends. She sifted through the papers, none of them really catching her interest. Sports clubs were a big no, that was for sure. Being in one only left a high probability of herself or someone else getting hurt somehow. There were a lot of other clubs for miscellaneous hobbies, but nothing Miku was really into.

Then her eyes fell on a sheet near the bottom of the hefty stack. It was a simple looking flyer, decorated with small music notes. On the top of the page were bold letters reading "Choir club". She skimmed over the rest of the smaller details written on the page. Singing had always been something she loved, though she'd always been to shy to lend her voice to anything outside of karaoke. The thought of singing in front of and with other people made her feel nervous, but it was either that or try her chances with another club she wasn't all that interested in.

"Choir club, huh?" She mumbled. "I guess I'll have to give it a shot." She reached down, her fingers tracing over the handkerchief she hadn't dared take off her knee. A small, red stain had soaked through the fabric, leaving the area crusty and rough compared to the surrounding softness. Part of her wanted to give it back to the girl, wash away the blood and present it to her fresh and clean, but another part of her wanted to keep it to try and preserve the memory.

"What is this feeling?" She wondered allowed as she caressed her warm cheeks with her fingertips that were frigid in comparison. She'd never felt this way about another person before, much less a girl. Society had programmed into her brain that girls should fall in love with boys, so why was it that she was blushing like a lovesick schoolgirl whenever she thought back on that morning. Her long hair that flowed gracefully in the wind, her unblemished skin that reminded her of a doll, her deep blue eyes that looked at her with nothing but kindness- Miku continued to get lost in her visions of the girl. And as much as it made her feel warm and drunk off a feeling that she guessed was love, it made her feel dirty. She was a girl, there was no way her feelings would come across as normal.

Frustrated with her own feelings she grabbed her pillow, loudly groaning into it as she pressed it against her face.

"I shouldn't feel this way!" She moaned, her voice muffled by her pillow. "This…this isn't normal!" All through the night she continued to tell herself the same thing. Every time she pictured the eyes she could get lost in or the smile she wanted desperately to press her own lips against she'd think to herself that the feelings that she had in her heart were abnormal. No one would understand or accept them- it was best to try and kill the flame before it became a raging inferno.

Maybe it was just stress of going to a new school or maybe the sweet scent of the spring air had finally gotten to her. She searched and searched for reasons, anything that would explain why she felt this way.

"It's probably nothing," She muttered as she slowly drifted into sleep that night. "Tomorrow…tomorrow I'm sure… I'll stop feeling this way."

* * *

The next day Miku had gotten up at a reasonable hour and had enough time to make herself look presentable. She'd remembered her lunch and had enough time on her hands that she could walk to school without any problems. But despite it all she felt awful. The feelings she was sure she would escape once she'd gotten some sleep still lingered inside of her. The very thought of the girl brought a blush to her cheeks and all she could think about was how badly she wanted to see her again. She'd washed the handkerchief the other night thoroughly enough that there wasn't even a scrap evidence that she'd used it just so she could have a reason to seek her out. Even in her dreams, all she saw was all sorts of twisted fantasies of what would happen when she gave it back, and they made her feel like she'd committed some sort of sin.

"Miku!" Miku jumped, hearing someone call her name and drag her from her rose-tinted fantasies. It was Rin and Len, running up behind her.

"My, aren't we early today," Len teased as the two of them positioned themselves at either side of her. "And here I thought you were going to be running frantically to school again. I guess I lose that bet."

"Shh! Len!" Rin hissed, her finger pressed against her lips. "Don't tell her we made a bet, stupid!"

"Sorry to disappoint," Miku chuckled. "I guess I can't be late every day." Her eyes darted back and fourth as she spoke, desperately searching for the pink haired girl. But with each turn of her head she continued to come up empty handed.

"Hmm? What's wrong, you loose something?" Rin asked, taking noticed to Miku's strange behavior.

"What? Huh? Oh, no, I…Nothing…" Miku muttered, cutting her search off short to stare down at the pavement. Rin and Len looked to one another, sharing a confused look as they both shrugged.

And, much to Miku's dismay, another school day passed by and she had yet to find the girl her thoughts refused to stray away from. Her spacey attitude had gotten her into trouble all day and now that the day was over she felt herself growing more and more disappointed- So much she nearly forgot about the fact she had made plans to check out the choir club. Digging for the paper, she ran back into the building as she frantically searched for the room.

Once she found it she paused, her arm outstretched and ready to open the door. She thought over what to say, like she was rehearsing for some sort of play. Clearing her throat she took one final deep breath before slowly opening the door.

"H…Hello?" She called softly as she peeked inside. Only one person was in the room then, and the very sight of that person made Miku's heart skip a beat. Pink hair that danced in the breeze coming from an open window, kind blue eyes that turned her way as she was drawn inside- every inch of her perfect body seemed complimented by the glow of the sun from outside. It was her, the girl she'd been searching for, the girl she couldn't stop thinking about. This had to be some sort of dream, or maybe she had the wrong clubroom! But before she could turn her tail and flee the girl spoke up, bringing all plans for Miku to try and escape to a crashing halt.

"Hello," She said sweetly. "I'm Megurine Luka, vice president of the choir club. It's very nice to meet you."


	2. Chapter 2: Lips

Miku stood in the club doorway, absolutely stunned. Her mind had stopped entirely, leaving her to stand with her mouth agape. Each of Luka's small, individual movements seemed almost breath taking: the slightest shift, the way she ran her fingers threw her hair as she tossed it over her shoulder. Whatever small voice inside her head that had told her that her feelings were in the wrong was totally silenced now that she was finally in her presence.

"Um…" Luka broke the short silence between them, taking a graceful step forward. "Are you alright? Do you have the wrong room?" Miku snapped herself out of it, shaking her head as if to try and shake the thoughts tainting her mind free.

"Sorry! I-I came here to join the choir club!" She explained, even though her initial plans weren't to just join the club right away. "…If that's alright…" Luka's lips drew up in a smile as she laughed quietly.

"Of coarse it's alright, silly." She chuckled, repeating what Miku had just said quietly under her breath between giggles. Miku couldn't help but blush as she shared in Luka's laughter with a nervous-sounding chuckle. "You'll have to go through a quick initiation process, though, so we can gauge where you are exactly, in terms of skill." Miku absent-mindedly nodded. At that point she would have agreed to and done whatever Luka told her. "What's you're name, anyway?"

"What?"

"Your name, what is it?" Luka repeated, raising an eyebrow. Miku fidgeted uncomfortably, finally tearing her eyes away from each individual movement Luka made to look embarrassed at the floorboards.

"It's Miku… Hatsune Miku," she told her shyly. "I'm a first year."

"Hatsune…Miku…?" Luka mimicked, a strange tone in her voice. But before she could say any more, someone burst into the room behind Miku, making a rather big show about opening the door and presenting herself as loud as she could.

"Luka!" Both Miku and Luka jumped as a girl loudly made her way into the room. Her vivid green hair bounced lively as she practically bounded into the room. "Hm? Who's this?"

"Oh, Gumi, this is Miku. She's interested in joining our club." Luka explained, the surprised look on her face smoothed out, unlike Miku's.

"Hmm…" Gumi looked over to Miku, leaning in closely to inspect the newest hopeful member of their club. "Well good luck, Gakupo's in a really sour mood today- as if he's never not."

"Gakupo?"

"He's the president of the choir club," Luka explained, looking bothered simply by explaining. "He's one of the deciding factors for being accepted into the club…but he's pretty notorious for being, well, rough."

"Rough's an understatement," Gumi groaned. "And now that he's the club president, heads are really going to roll." Miku nervously clutched at her skirt, her feelings of lust being overthrown by feelings of panic. Luka looked to Miku, catching the nervous look in her eyes.

"Well, I am the vice president, I'm sure I have some say in who and who doesn't get to join our club." She assured her, her soft expression now painfully forced. "You have nothing to worry about, okay?" Miku met her eyes again, and once again was drawn into the deep blue pools. Her frightened feelings that had begun to build up inside her were subsided by simply looking into her eyes, it seemed, but the feeling of being relieved of her panic only lasted a moment as the sound of the door sliding open brought the feelings right back.

"Who has nothing to worry about, Luka?" A low, smooth sounding voice asked. Hesitantly, Miku turned around to face two older boys standing behind her. One of them had short blue hair, with his school uniform worn as sloppily as the dress code would allow, who looked at her curiously with a laid back smile on his face. But other boy behind him was the opposite. His long purple hair was tied back into a tight ponytail, his uniform pressed to perfection. He pushed his glasses up before giving her a cold, judgmental look, like he was disappointed she'd managed to walk through the clubroom door without opposition.

"Nothing, Kaito…" Luka muttered, her voice taking a painfully serious tone as she turned to the other boy who was still eyeing Miku as if she was a cockroach that dared to cross his path. Miku desperately looked back to her and Gumi for some sort of guidance, only to find none- just a concerned look from the two of them. Gulping hard, Miku turned back to face the two boys.

"Um… If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to join this-" She began, trying her best not to trip over her words. The blue haired boy, Kaito, merely chuckled, shrugging as if he didn't care. The other boy, seeming even more annoyed than before, was quick to cut her off.

"Unfortunately, you can't just join this club as you please," He told her sternly, almost as if he was talking down to a child. "You'll have to try out, and even after that we have a strict set of rules for weaning out people who might drag our choral group down." Every word he spoke made Miku feel like she had been in the wrong for even thinking of coming there. It was taking all her strength to fight back tears as she tightly grasped at the hem of her skirt.

"Gakupo, don't be so hard on her," Luka shot back, resting a gentle hand on Miku's shoulder, who jumped at the simple, warm touch. Somehow it seemed familiar, but her brain was much too consumed in panic to think straight enough to try and figure out why. "Everyone deserves a chance to at least try, right?" Gakupo's harsh expression softened a small bit as his eyes drifted from Miku to Luka.

"If our senior members last year had that sort of mentality, any tone-deaf, karaoke queen could just waltz in here and we wouldn't be the top choral group in the district, now would we?" He hissed. "I intend to keep that legacy the last year I'm at this school, if that's alright with you." Luka remained silent, giving him a chilling glare. It surprised Miku that such kind eyes could become so angry.

Gakupo smiled in an almost sinister way as he walked –practically glided- over to where she stood, his fingers brushing underneath Luka's chin, who seemed to be resisting the urge to jerk away.

"Don't you worry, I don't intend on making joining this club impossible, even for little wanna-be divas like this." He laughed darkly. "Who knows, maybe there's a decent voice attached to that pretty little face of hers." His eyes trailed over Miku again, his stare doing the exact opposite Luka's did as it sent a cool shiver running slowly up her spine. He snorted, as if her very existence was humorous to him as he walked to the front of the clubroom. Luka gave Miku a sorry gaze as she motioned for her to follow after her as she followed behind Gakupo.

"Now, I'm sure if you're willing to join our club you know your way around basic music theory, correct?" Gakupo asked, each word cold as ice. Miku looked at him helplessly, the very term "music theory" seeming much too alien to her. She didn't even have to say anything for him to quickly catch on. "And I'm sure you know what your vocal range is. Soprano? Mezzo-soprano? Contralto?" He seemed to be getting a kick out of Miku's confused looks, his grin growing larger the more lost she became.

"Gakupo!" Luka shot back, taking a step in front of Miku to face him.

"What a pity, it seems our little hopeful here isn't even a bit ready to try out. I refuse to have someone as inexperienced as this child join our club."

"Whether or not she makes the cut isn't up to you, Gakupo," Luka practically spat. "It's up to Miss Meiko."

"While that is true I'm sure even someone as weak- I mean kind hearted as Miss Meiko would agree that this…girl is far too inexperienced to join." Miku's eyes traveled to the floor in shame as her heart grew heavier and heavier. But, just when she thought she'd reached her lowest point- just as she strongly considered running for the door and never returning- she felt Luka join hands with her, forcefully entwining her fingers with Miku's and tightly squeezing.

"Then let me teach her!" She said, her brave voice pulling Miku out of the darker corners of her mind. "The official tryout date is a week from now, right? Give me until then and I promise you, I'll make this girl a singer that will even meet your high standards." Gakupo scoffed, her words obviously not reaching him like they had Miku.

"Fine, it's not like I can stop you, but I sincerely doubt you'll be able to do such a thing in such a short amount of time," He sneered. "Especially since you yourself just barely made the cut off last year. But by all means, train the pathetic wannabe, it should be entertaining to see." Miku felt Luka's grip on her hand tighten ever so slightly as he spoke, her soft looking lips stretched into a sharp frown.

"Fine then, let's make this more interesting then, since you want to be entertained," Luka said, her voice just barely wavering as she spoke. "If my training fails and she doesn't make it in, I'll give up my position as the club vice president and give it to Kaito since you want your obedient dog to run things along side you, after all."

"Heh, that should be something," Kaito chuckled from behind them. Gumi chimed in with a quiet warning for Luka not to do such a thing.

"That's quite a wager, Luka, are you sure?" Gakupo asked. Luka answered with silence, giving him a determined look. "Fine, but it's a pretty absent-minded decision- I'm surprised. I guess you're not as smart as I thought you were." He followed up his words with a dark chuckle before Luka turned, taking Miku with her as she stormed out of the room. Her grip was still tight around Miku's hand, and Miku was struggling to keep up with Luka's stride, but she remained silent, refusing to utter a single complaint. Luka was putting her position in the club on the line for her: a girl she'd hardly even met. It made her feel guilty just as much as it made her feel special.

"Um…Miss Luka…my hand," She finally managed to silently say. Luka jumped, quickly relinquishing Miku's hand, her eyes filled with another new look, this time a look of sadness mixed with nervousness- the same exact look Miku wore. But all it made Miku want to do was chase the sad look away from her beautiful eyes, and just like that she was swept up in another fantasy. Of all the times to think of such things, she had to choose now. Her own thoughts sickened her.

"S-Sorry…" Luka sighed, leaning against the hallway wall. She seemed spent, like she couldn't even stand on her own two feet on her own. "And sorry about Gakupo, I didn't mean for any of that to happen." She clasped her hands around her head, muttering something to herself.

"I'm the one who should be saying sorry," Miku told her, a lump growing in her throat. Tears she had been holding back in the clubroom were now itching to be set free. "It's because of me you're in this mess now. I never should have come."

"Don't say that! That's what Gakupo wants!" Luka gasped. " It's not your fault, after all, you…" Luka paused, cutting herself off. Miku looked at her confused, waiting for her to continue. But instead she shook her head. "Never mind, it doesn't matter." Miku desperately wanted to pry, but she held back her own words, suddenly remembering what she had wanted to do originally when she finally saw Luka again.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, riffling through her bag and delicately pulling out Luka's handkerchief. "Here, you gave this to me yesterday."

"Huh?" Luka looked at her in surprise. "Oh, yeah, I guess I did." Finally, the warm smile that Miku craved came back as she reached out and pushed her hand offering her the piece of fabric away. "You can keep it, something tells me you'll need it more than me in the future." Miku tried to hide it, but there was no hiding her eyes as they lit up excitedly.

"You mean it, I can keep it!?" She gasped as Luka began to laugh. Blushing, Miku turned away, bringing the handkerchief close to her as she pressed it against her chest.

"You're an interesting person, Miku," Luka chuckled, returning to standing upright again. "Come on, we should go to one of the private practice rooms. We have a lot of practice to do before the tryouts." She reached out, offering Miku her hand to hold. At first, Miku hesitated. She could back out now and spare Luka the shame and the trouble, but the darker side of her wanted to be closer to her- much closer. And it would start with her taking that one, friendly hand.

"Okay," Miku smiled, nodding happily as she entwined her fingers in Luka's. All it came down to was spending more time with her, this amazing girl who seemed more like a goddess to her than a human, even if it meant putting her position in her own club on the line. Everything, even down to the feeling of her hand clasped around hers, filled her entire body with warmth she'd never felt before. Getting into something foolish and detrimental for no other reason than to be close to her; this had to be love.

* * *

The days that passed seemed to fly by, much to both the girl's dismay. Every day Miku would wish for time to speed up faster only to wish for it to slow down to a crawl when it came time to join Luka in the private practice room. And everything Luka did drove her crazy: when she'd reach over to point out something on the sheet music and her hand just barely brushed against hers, the sweet scent that lingered around her that wafted into her nose whenever she drew close, the way she'd smile at her whenever she hit a note right or read a line of notes correctly.

And her voice, oh god, especially her voice. It was as smooth and rich as dark chocolate and filled the air around them with melodies that whisked Miku away to a whole other, dreamy state of mind. The way she sang was just as hypnotic as her eyes, if not even more so. Every time Luka would sing, she couldn't help but gush about how beautiful she sounded just to watch Luka blush and fumble with her words as she tried to convince her she wasn't that good. But there was no denying she was.

It was getting to the point where it hurt Miku to be around her. Her entire body itched to bring Luka into a warm loving embrace and to smother the mouth that produced such a magnificent sound with her own. The lightest touch and the quickest glance burned because she wanted it to be so much more. But the forbidden aspect of her feelings forced her mouth closed, leaving the words the wanted desperately to say and the actions she yearned to act upon to whither and die. She'd rather suffer the frustrations of never getting to express her love than the bitter feeling of rejection.

"Oh, no!" Luka moaned, looking at the time.

"Huh?" Miku mumbled, looking up from her sheet music she'd been studying, or rather had been using to keep her mind off Luka. That was all her practicing had come down to: something to distract her from her burning feelings.

"It's almost time to go, and there's no way we'll be ready tomorrow!" Luka cried bitterly, looking over her now-disorganized cluster of sheet music frantically. The date finally hit Miku like a speeding train. The official tryouts for a spot in the choir club were tomorrow and, as Luka had said, there were still a handful of kinks to work out and practice they still needed to do. Biting her lip, she watched as Luka's normally happy face began to break down in worry and defeat. It seemed to hurt her more to see Luka in such a state than realizing the fact they weren't ready.

But than an idea came to mind that would fix both problems all at once and she found herself smiling despite the situation.

"You could come over to my place tonight!" She offered, excitement heavily layered on top of each word. "My mom won't mind, she's used to me pulling all-nighters with friends at our place." Luka looked at her with hopeful eyes, trying to wipe away tears that had begun to build at the corners of her eyes in a way Miku wouldn't notice.

"W-will that be alright?"

"Of course!" Miku smiled. "Anything for y- I mean, to make sure I'm fully prepared for tomorrow." She blushed, hoping Luka hadn't caught her slip up. But it seemed Luka was much too lost in her own relief to have caught it.

"Thank you," she sighed happily, falling back in an exhausted way into her chair. "You've saved the both of us."

"Its no problem," Miku told her with a grin, making a note that post-stressed Luka was the cutest yet. "Shall we go, then? We can continue when we get to my place." It was Miku's turn to offer Luka her hand, and a whole new feeling of ecstasy flowed through her as she happily took it. That night would be the happiest night of her life, and she was sure it would also be the one that drove her totally, irreversibly mad.

* * *

Miku felt a frenzied feeling begin to grow inside of her. Arranging the all-nighter had gone off without a hitch, this was true, and thus far the practicing they had gotten out of the way had gone over smoothly. What was filling her already overflowing mind with heaping amounts of panic was the fact that she had insisted on washing up, mostly to clear her own thoughts, and Luka had suggested they simply go in together to save time. And there was no way Miku could have said no, but now she wished she had. Leaning over the edge of the bathtub she watched, spellbound, as Luka washed her hair, nothing but a towel wrapped around her seemingly flawlessly proportioned body. Up until now, all Miku had seen of her was what little skin that wasn't concealed by her school uniform. Now, with nothing but a towel to conceal her most private part of her body, what was before Miku now left very little to the imagination.

"Miku?" Luka asked, her voice echoing around her. "Is everything alright?"

"Ah!" Miku gasped, realizing she'd been caught staring as she quickly retreated all the way into the tub. "No, everything's fine. I was just spacing out, that's all!" The warmth of the blush that lit her cheeks up overpowered the warmth of the bathwater around her. An awkward silence followed, accompanied by nothing but the soft sloshing sound of the water in the tub.

"Miku…" Luka's voice finally rang through the quiet bathroom as she rinsed her hair. "You… you really forgot me, didn't you?" Miku lifted her head, thoughts now swimming with confusion on top of everything else.

"Forgot you?" She asked, puzzling over what Luka could have meant. The content look on Luka's eyes faltered a moment as she stood to her feet, unwrapping the towel from around her body as Miku looked on in stunned silence.

"I guess you wouldn't remember, it was so long ago," She sighed, towel totally stripped free of her body. Miku felt faint, and it definitely wasn't from having stayed in the bath too long. "You were so young back then, my little, wingless butterfly…"

"Butterfly…" The word resonated in Miku's find, recalling misty, faded memories as another silence grew between them. Along with picking apart her own brain for an answer to the things Luka had presented, Miku was trying her hardest to restrain herself. There she was, every inch of her, exposed for her to see –an endless sea of skin she couldn't touch. She turned her attention to her own reflection on the surface of the bathwater. Her eyes were wide and frantic and her face was absolutely beet-red from blushing. The blush only deepened as a ripple ran across the surface, distorting her reflection, as Luka slowly lowered herself into the tub.

"Yes…butterfly…" Luka said, her voice almost a whisper now that sent a shiver clawing it's way up Miku's spine. It only grew worse as the sudden feeling of fingers lightly cupping her chin caught Miku's attention. Forcing Miku's head up to face her effortlessly, Luka stared deep into Miku's eyes with a look that she'd never seen her wear before. Luka's hand migrated from Miku's chin to her burning cheeks as she drew closer, the sound her gliding through the water the only sound the echoed through the room. For the first time, the two of them spoke without words. A conversation unfolded in both their eyes as they stared back at one another: Luka with an almost dreamy look and Miku with one of surprise, her body growing warmer as Luka gently caressed the side of her face with her finger tips, their legs brushing up against one another under the water. "Even after I relieved her of her wings, she still was able to leave my side."

Miku gasped, the vivid dreams that haunted her in her sleep flooding her mind.

"You!" she exclaimed, the water splashing around them as she quickly straightened up. "You're that girl from my old neighborhood! The one I lived in before my parents got divorced!" A wide smile stretched across Luka's lips, her eyes lighting up.

"You do remember!" she cried happily. "When you moved away I thought I'd never see you again… I'm so happy…" Drawing closer to Miku, she rested her head against her chest as her hands reached around to wrap her in a loving embrace. Miku's breath caught for a moment, the feeling of Luka's body pressed softly against her's, sending a massive shock wave through her entire body. At first she was statue still, allowing herself to be hugged as her mind became overwhelmed and cluttered with a flurry of thoughts. But after a few seconds of taking everything in she finally willed herself to lift her arms and wrap them around Luka's body, her fingers gently treading along the surface of her silky-smooth skin.

"You're heart's pounding," Luka said softly, unwrapping her arms from around Miku. She held back a gasp of surprise as Luka's hands gracefully made their way from her back to her chest, finally coming to a stop above her heart to feel it furiously beating from the outside.

"Yeah…" Miku said breathlessly, completely in a trance. Somewhere in her brain, something had shorted, and she loved it.

"Mine is, too," Luka told her, removing her hands from where they rested to take both of Miku's. Her limbs were limp and she allowed Luka to control her however she wished without a fight. To her surprise, she positioned her hands above her left breast, allowing Miku to feel her own rapid heartbeat. Her blush intensifying, Miku tried her hardest to resist the urge to gently squeeze the softness of Luka's chest as she felt her heart pound against it.

And again, the two of them shared a thousand words with their eyes and expressions, and Miku felt herself being drawn in more than she ever had been. No longer being able to control herself, she slowly leaned in, her lips itching to press themselves against Luka's. But then, the pink-haired girl's expression changed to that of a look of discomfort as she freed Miku's hands that fell limply from her chest down into the water below with a splash.

"I…I'm sorry," She muttered, reaching out to push Miku away. Her kind eyes now were traveling all around the room, looking at everything but Miku. Her heart that once was beating as fast as a bird's felt heavy as Luka quickly exited the tub. She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't find the words to say to her. Instead, she watched as Luka wrapped her towel around herself and quietly left the bathroom, casting one single, sorrowful look over her shoulder before she left. A new, unfamiliar feeling began to settle in Miku's chest as she watched Luka go. Lowering her head she looked back at her reflection that was looking back at her with saddened eyes. Clutching at her chest where Luka's hands once rested she sank beneath the water to hide her tears.

* * *

By the time Miku came back to her room, Luka was fast asleep at her table, surrounded by the sheet music they'd been studying.

'Maybe I should just let her sleep', Miku thought to herself as she gingerly tiptoed into the room and closed the door quietly behind her. Taking a seat next to the slumbering Luka, she looked over to her, captivated by her sleeping features. Along with her usual warm feelings, a lump began to grow in her throat. There was no doubt about it, Luka had rejected her, and now, looking at her, all she could see was something she couldn't have. She looked over the music sheets bitterly, gathering them up off the floor.

"Miku…" Miku jumped as she heard Luka sleepily call her name as she rested her hand on hers. For the first time since she met her, Miku was actually fighting the urge to pull away. She looked to Luka, who was looking up at her with half-lidded eyes just begging to be closed again.

"H…Huh?" Miku mumbled, trying to hide away her sadness.

"I'm sorry…I'm just afraid," Luka yawned, her sad expression matching Miku's.

"Afraid?"

"Yes…" Luka's tired eyes were filled with shame. "I'm afraid of what will happen… when I kiss you. I'm afraid of the unknown, and opening that door… taking a bite of that forbidden fruit… I'm so unsure of what will happen after that…I'm afraid I'll lose you after I've waited so long to find you." Miku felt her tense body loosen as she took her other hand and rested it on top of Luka's.

"It's alright," Miku whispered, a kind smile on her face. "I'll wait until you're sure, no matter how long it takes." Luka's eyes widened in surprise for a moment before returning to their tired-looking state as she returned Miku's smile with her own.

"Thank you…" she mumbled, sleep taking hold of her once again as she drifted back into her dreams. Miku sighed, relieved, as she reached out and ran her fingers through Luka's soft hair. The heavy feeling that had her heart bound was lifted, and it almost felt amazing as the feeling she felt when Luka had her body pressed against hers.

"I'll wait for you," she whispered. "I'll wait for you forever."


	3. Chapter 3: Eyes

"Miku…Miku…" A voice whispered softly as someone gently shook Miku. She slowly opened her eyes, coming face to face with Luka, who was nudging her awake. Without even realizing it herself, she smiled. Waking up to Luka looking down at her was definitely something she could get used to.

"Good morning," she mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she sat up. She'd fallen asleep at her table and the sheet music had been scattered all about her bedroom floor. Luka returned her tired good morning with a warm smile as she stood to her feet and waltzed over to the bedroom door.

"Hurry up and get dressed," She told her. "And I made breakfast, I hope you don't mind."

"Breakfast!?" Miku gasped, shooting up into a sitting position despite having just woken up. The sound of Luka cooking sounded extremely appealing to her and her now-empty stomach. Luka stifled a laugh at Miku's reaction, lips drawn up in a wide smile that she covered with a hand as she lightly chuckled.

"Mm-hmm," she nodded. "So hurry up and get ready before it gets cold, alright?"

"Okay," Miku yawned as Luka turned to leave. Once Luka was gone Miku smiled to herself, looking down at her hand that, until one of them had woken up, had been grasping Luka's all through the night. It had been a real battle the night before. Luka had fallen into a deep sleep, leaving Miku to study the sheet music alone. But, like always, Miku couldn't bear to keep her eyes off of Luka for a moment. In between memorizing the last few lines of the song and quizzing herself on music theory, she was deeply studying her as she slept. She found herself watching Luka steadily breath and lightly toss and turn for what seemed like hours that night, all the while her soft hand rested on top of hers, continuing to cheer her on to do her best while she was asleep.

Lightly laughing to herself she looked to her window as warm sunlight began to shine through and bathe her room in a golden glow.

"Today's the day," She said to herself, looking around her floor at the papers. A nervous feeling welled up inside of her, but it was small enough she was able to cast it aside, at least for the moment.

But as the morning slowly began to pass by it only grew and grew, becoming an uncomfortable feeling inside her by the time her and Luka got to school, and it only grew more when it came time to bid her goodbye. Watching Luka walk down the hallway and disappear up the stairs, the feeling of panic began to settle in and make itself at home in Miku's brain. All day, the looming tryouts for the choir club nagged at her, keeping her from her schoolwork. And by the end of the day she was a hopeless mess as she waited for Luka outside of the auditorium where the auditions were to be held.

"So, it seems you're more persistent than I thought," Miku jumped in shock, coming to find Gakupo standing before her with a displeased look in his eyes. She straightened up, as if she were in the presence of some sort of royalty head, pressing herself against the wall as much as she could. "Though what it really comes down to is how well that fool, Luka, taught you."

"I…I…" Miku stammered. His presence was doing nothing for her nerves.

"Hm, what's that? Cat got your tongue? That's quite unfortunate, since choir club tryouts require you to be able to use your voice. Not that I care, the last thing this club needs is a newbie dragging us down."

"Gakupo!" A hand grasped his shoulder, turning him around to face away from the frightened Miku. Behind him was Luka, glaring at him with angry eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I not allowed to speak to your little pet project?" He chuckled darkly. "I'm just letting her know the reality of her situation, it would take an extra large miracle for you to have prepared her well enough in such a short amount of time."

"Everyone should be given a chance, Gakupo!" Luka shot back, her words acidic and furious. "You're the reason hardly anyone's trying out this year. We're graduating this year, we should be concentrating on trying to recruit more members, not chase them away!"

"We can leave that job to whoever's left next year, all we should really be caring about is making sure we leave a legacy, and we won't be able to do that if we let just anyone join our club." Gakupo practically hissed, lightly snorting as his gaze traveled to Miku who was still pressed against the wall as she watched the argument in fear. "That's why we have tryouts for our club: to wean out the pathetic losers who should stick to going home after school."

"Shut up!" Luka spat, immediately throwing her hands over her mouth, her angry words surprising even herself. They seemed to amuse Gakupo, though, who looked between her and Miku with an amused look.

"What's wrong, Luka, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were sticking up for this little girl," He cackled. "Maybe your little student-teacher relationship goes a little deeper-"

"It's not like that." Luka muttered, her eyes turned to the floor. "Don't assume stupid things like that…" Along with everything that had been weighing down Miku- the nervous feeling that had been growing with every second that passed, the way Gakupo could cast her aside as another useless nobody- those final few words were her final breaking point. She found herself trying to deny it, even though she had been there to witness Luka say it. Who knew the lips she desperately wanted to kiss could produce such hurtful words? It felt like the very ground she was unsteadily standing on had been stripped out from under her, leaving her to free fall into an inescapable sadness.

_It's not like that. Don't assume stupid things like that._

_...Stupid things like that._

Hearing Luka's kind voice say such painful words made her feel nauseous. She turned away from the two and broke into a frantic run into the darkened auditorium before either of them could see her tears that had begun to blur her vision, just waiting to spill over. She heard Luka call her name, but she didn't hear her footsteps frantically follow after her.

Was that how she truly viewed her feelings for her, as stupid things? The words echoed in her mind relentlessly, no matter how much she wanted to forget them. The kind smiles they had shared over the week, the soft caresses they had shared the other night, all of them were being washed away by her tears she was furiously trying to wipe away as what other few students who dared to try out for the choir club began to file in. And as Luka and the others filed in, Luka didn't even give Miku one last reassuring smile, wishing her good luck. Her eyes were focused on the ground as she walked behind Gakupo in silence.

The tryouts began with a short written exam that Miku could hardly even focus on. The things she thought she had down pat suddenly became some sort of dead language she couldn't understand. Her eyes kept on traveling to Luka, who was silently speaking with Gumi. She desperately wished she would realize she was looking at her and not the test. She silently prayed she would turn around and give her a smile or mouth a good luck. In the end she didn't seem to care if her paper was riddled with mistakes, all she could think about was Luka and how easily she was able to cast her feelings aside.

And when it came time to perform, her voice suddenly left her. While everyone was silently singing to themselves backstage, Miku could hardly utter a single note. They came out scratchy and pitchy, and the more she tried, the worse things seemed to get. And everyone that went up onto the stage to sing sounded amazing to her, there voices filling the auditorium while her's probably wasn't strong enough to be heard from anywhere off the stage. Her eyes continued to travel to the exit, her brain egging her on to just give up and leave.

"Hatsune Miku?" Someone called from beyond the curtain. She gasped, her body going rigid as she took steps backward instead of forward toward the stage. "Hatsune Miku?" The voice repeated, this time more sternly. Miku buried her face in her hands, her own failure now mixing with the heavy feelings of heartbreak. The soft sound of chattering barely reached her, followed by a short silence.

"Miku!" She jumped, hearing someone whisper her name sharply as they rested their hand on her shoulder. She whirled around to find Luka, looking at her with worry in her eyes. "Miku, what's going on, it's your turn!"

"I can't…I can't do it!" She sobbed, refusing to meet Luka's eyes. "I'm singing for you, but if all of that was just something stupid, there's no way I can sing!"

"Miku…" Luka said sadly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it…I…I wasn't thinking-" Miku shook her head, squeezing her eyes tightly shut.

"You were able to just shrug it all off as nothing so easily! You…you…" As she fumbled for words, she felt Luka grasp her shoulders, pulling her closer to her. And before another tear-filled word could be uttered, the gentle feeling of Luka's lips pressing themselves against hers cut them off. The kiss wasn't forceful, but it surely wasn't a chaste peck either. Her lips lingered where they were pressed, her tongue just barely poking out from between them to graze Miku's bottom lip before she pulled away. Miku moaned, begging for a second kiss as she leaned forward, but instead she got a smile from Luka that was accompanied by a heavy blush that matched Miku's once she realized what she was doing.

"Please…do your best out there," Luka told her softly, brushing Miku's bangs aside to plant a second, delicate kiss on her forehead. Reaching up to run her fingers along her own lips, Miku nodded, a new-found energy suddenly running through her entire body as the warmth from Luka's lips lingered against her own.

"And I'm sorry," She added, "Next time I'll stop to think before I speak." Miku nodded dumbly again, having absolutely no words to speak. But the newfound smile that had now found it's way onto her lips spoke louder than words. So with a smile and a wave, Luka turned to leave, throwing one last smile over her shoulder. And as Miku turned around as well and began to walk towards the stage she heard her softly call: "good luck."

"Oh, good, it seems Luka was able to find you," An older woman in the audience said as Miku walked on stage. "I'm Miss Meiko, the choir club's adviser. And what, might I ask, will you be singing for us today." Miku looked to either side of her, catching both a go-get-em smile from Luka and an undermining smirk from Gakupo before she finally spoke up.

"It's called 'Last night, Good Night'. Luka picked it out for me." She said with a smile. She wasn't going to let Gakupo drag her down. All that mattered was that Luka was wishing for her to do her best, and she wasn't going to let her down.

"Alright, then, Let's hear it."

The kiss from earlier seemed to draw out a voice Miku didn't even know she had. Bathed in the glow of the stage lights, her voice rang through the auditorium like a chorus of church bells. Singing and hearing her own voice echo around her became an amazing feeling that filled her with warmth. From the top of her head to the tips of her toes, it was as if her whole entire body was filled to the brim with it as she sang. It was almost a pity when it finally came to an end and the final note lingered in the auditorium before fading away.

At first the silence remained, causing yet another wave of nervousness to begin to grow inside of Miku while she stood, glued to the stage. But then a soft sound echoed from the darkness. It was Luka, giving her a one man standing ovation. None of the other club members joined in, and Miss Meiko gave her a simple "thank you, you may go now". The sound of Luka's single, solemn applause was enough for Miku as she beamed, absorbing the last bit of warmth of the stage lights before hopping off the stage.

* * *

The sky was dyed a vivid orange as the sun began to set. Miku remained by the front doors, waiting obediently for Luka to finish up inside. The feeling of Luka's lips against hers and the high that she had had while singing could still clearly be felt, and it put a smile on her face. She wanted to feel those feelings more often: the feeling of joy when she sang and the near indescribable feeling she felt when Luka kissed all of her worries away.

Looking up to the warm-colored skies, she hummed silently to herself, trying to relive her short-lived moment on stage.

"You were wonderful." Miku jumped, coming out of her trance to find Luka standing beside her, looking gorgeous as ever bathed in the light of the sunset.

"Was I?" Miku asked excitedly. "How did I do?"

"I'm not allowed to tell you," Luka laughed as she began to head out towards the street, motioning for Miku to follow her. "You'll just have to figure it out tomorrow." Picking up her pace so she could walk beside her, Miku reached out, grasping Luka's hand.

"Last night… you said you were afraid to kiss me because you were unsure about what would happen if you did," Miku said. "So why did you kiss me back there, exactly?" Luka looked over to her, giving her a friendly smile as she adjusted her grip on Miku's hand so their fingers were entwined.

"I guess in order to help you conquer your fear, I'd have to get over mine," Luka explained. It may have been the glow of the sun, but it looked like she was lightly blushing. "And now that it's happened, I don't regret it at all-Ah!" The two of them stopped at the school gates, both of them beginning to walk opposite ways, their paths stopped by their hands that were still holding them together. Sharing an embarrassed laugh between the two of them they slowly let go.

"Wait!" Miku called, just as the two of them began to walk their separate ways. "I… If you don't regret it…I want you to kiss me again…I want you to give me lots of kisses!"

Luka looked at her in surprise at first before her expression softened. Looking around the deserted street, she silently beckoned Miku over. The moment she was an arm's length away she grasped her by the shoulders, pulling her close. Before either of them could have a second thought, their lips were pressed together again, this time in a deeper kiss than before. Miku reached out, wrapping her arms around Luka as she felt her own body shiver as Luka's hands slowly slid from her shoulders to her hips. Every second that passed as they kissed seemed like an eternity to her. A sweet, loving eternity that she didn't want to ever end.

"Miku…" Luka whispered breathlessly as she broke the kiss for air. "I love you."

Miku felt her heart begin to beat fast to the point where she feared of would burst through her chest as Luka whispered those three words into her ear. Hearing Luka say them was amazing to her, even more amazing than her touch, even more amazing than the lingering taste of Luka's lips. And it left her wanting more.

"Luka…please…" She begged in a quiet voice. "Say you love me…one more time." Luka's gentle laugh filled the air around them as she leaned in again, close enough that her lips just barely grazed Miku's quivering lips as she spoke.

"You're a funny person, Miku," She giggled lightly. "That's one of the reasons why…I love you."

Miku hardly got any sleep that night. All she could think of was the sound of Luka's voice, the way her face lit up and the way she gently ran her hands over her as she told her she loved her. It filled her with an amazing burst of energy, so much she could hardly will herself to close her eyes when it came time to try and rest up for the next day. Every time she thought of Luka now, her heart began to beat like she had been running a marathon and a warm blush would heat her cheeks. Luka seemed to haunt her every thought now. Any passing thing that traveled through her mind would bring her right back to thinking of her, somehow.

"Wow, that was a mighty yawn," Rin gasped as her and Len walked with her to school. "Could it be you couldn't get any sleep because of the choir tryouts yesterday?"

"I heard it's a really difficult club to get into," Len added. "Me and Rin would have joined you, but chances are we would have gotten turned away. Everyone told us first years hardly ever make it in, anyway."

"Mm hmm, you've got some real balls trying out," Rin agreed.

"Well, one of the club members was nice enough to help me," Miku explained, a wide smile on her face despite her lacking sleep. "She's been really nice to me, it would be a shame if I didn't even try out."

"Man, you got one of the members to help you?" Rin said in surprise. "Jeeze, Miku, you've got some amazing luck these days."

"Huh…" Miku turned her eyes up to the clear blue sky above them thoughtfully. "Yeah…I guess I do."


	4. Chapter 4: Hands

The moment class ended, Miku couldn't contain herself. All day she had felt an excited feeling coiling in her chest, just waiting to spring out, and now that there was nothing standing between her and the results for the choir club tryouts there was no stopping her. Dodging classmates and desks, she quickly picked up speed as she burst into the hall, ignoring the shouts of other students and teachers. All she could hear were her own racing thoughts as she zigzagged between the slowly forming crowds in the hallway. She only thought to slow down when it became too late.

"Hey, watch it!" Someone yelled seconds before she barreled into them. Flying backward, her bag flew from her hand and it's contents spilled onto the floor. All she could concentrate on, however, was the blush that had begun to heat up her face in embarrassment as she got off her back with some difficulty to see who had just been a victim of her clumsiness.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I should have watched where I was going!" she cried before she got a glimpse of the person who was also struggling to get back to their feet.

"Oh, it's you!" It was the blue haired boy, Kaito, from the choir club.

"Um…yeah," Miku stammered as she began to fumble around with her loose papers and textbooks, trying to shove them haphazardly back into her bag. "Sorry about running into you, I shouldn't have been running so fast."

"Eh, no worries. Not like anyone got hurt, right?" He shrugged nonchalantly, reaching out to grab a handful of papers. "Here, let me help you."

"No, no, I'll be fine!" Miku told him a bit too loudly.

"I insist. Chances are you're probably going to see the tryout results, right?" Kaito smiled. "You did pretty well yesterday, by the way."

"You think so?" Miku asked, a little flattered she was being complimented as she looked to him with an eager smile. He laughed lightly, like she was a puppy who had just done a trick for him.

"Yeah, none of us expected you to do so well, Gakupo especially," Kaito chuckled as he handed her the papers he'd collected. "Pretty impressive for a first year, I'd say."

"Th…Thank you," Miku muttered, trying to hide her cheeks that had begun to glow an even deeper shade of red as she took the papers. For a brief second, their hands brushed against each other as her fingertips sliped over his as she carefully grabbed the papers from his hand. Noticing the minimal contact, Miku looked up to see Kaito's face twist slightly, as if he was restraining himself from making a different expression. Before she could mumble out another embarrassed sorry, a soothing voice broke the silence.

"Huh? What happened here?" Miku looked up, the feelings of embarrassment quickly lifting as she met the blue eyes she craved to take in as much as the tryout results. Luka leaned over, observing the two of them from above.

"Nothing, really, just an accident," Kaito explained plainly, steadily rising to his feet. Miku agreed with a quick nod of her head, her eyes now fixed on Luka. Kaito was nothing more than a silhouette next to the pink haired angel who looked to her with a twinge of concern.

"Well, as long as no one was hurt," she sighed, offering Miku her hand to take. Breaking out of her love-struck trance long enough to look to Kaito one last time, she came to find he'd already left without a word, his back to the two of them as he disappeared into the crowd.

"Miku." Luka said softly, the simple sound of her voice calling her name drawing her right back in. She smiled sweetly, re-offering Miku her hand. Returning the smile with her own, Miku took it as she used it to pull herself back to her own feet. She wanted their hands to remain clasped together –Touching even the smallest bit of Luka's skin felt amazing to her- but once she was steadily on her feet, Luka quickly withdrew her hand, letting it fall at her side.

"I got really excited about seeing the tryout results, but I ran into Kaito," Miku explained blushingly as she stuffed the papers he had given her into her already messy bag.

"Well, he seemed fine about it, so you should be fine…" Luka's smile faltered a bit as she looked to the path Kaito had taken.

"You should be careful around him, Miku," She told her in a hushed whisper that she could hardly hear over the din from the other students that surrounded them. "Kaito has a pretty hefty track record of being a womanizer…" She reached out, brushing her hand against Miku's, the slight feeling of her fingers running against hers for a short second leaving Miku wanting something more. "I know I shouldn't worry too much, but still you should be careful. I can hardly live with myself thinking I ripped a poor butterflies wings away, I can't even fathom what I'd do if he got a hold of her…"

"Like you said, you don't have to worry about me," Miku said reassuringly, giving Luka a wide grin. "I'd never give my heart to anyone but you." The two of them shared a meaningful look, but just before Miku could reach out and take Luka's hand, she was already on the move, her eyes beckoning Miku to follow obediently after her.

"Come on, we should go check the tryout results before a huge crowd gathers," she said excitedly before turning her attention ahead of her. Miku grasped her own hand, unable to ignore a strange feeling of uneasiness from the fact Luka hadn't willingly taken her hand in the same loving way she had the other day, but instead of dwelling on it she shook it off, replacing it with the excitement that was quickly returning the closer they got to the choir club room.

A good-sized crowd had already gathered at the clubroom door, the air filled with sounds of shock and disappointment more than happiness. People were slowly parting from the group of people, heads hung low and eyes gloomy as their friends trailed behind them trying to cheer them up. A slight feeling of uneasiness paralyzed Miku as she stood a few steps away from the crowd.

"Doesn't sound too good…" she muttered to herself as she went about her usual nervous habit of clutching at her skirt, wadding the fabric up in her fists.

"That doesn't mean we still shouldn't take a look, right?" Luka asked, giving Miku a light push forward. "But remember, no matter what happens…I thought you did wonderful." Miku nodded, squeezing her eyes shut as she left Luka's side and pushed passed bodies.

'Please', she thought to herself, praying to almost every entity she could think of in hopes one would bless her with good fortune, 'I want to be with Luka as much as I can…If I make it into this club, we can…'

She slowly forced herself to open one of her eyes, the sheet with the names of who had made it now in clear view. It was a pretty small list; no more than a few names were printed on the otherwise blank sheet of paper. And there, in the middle of the tiny list was the name: "Hatsune Miku."

"Oh my god!" she gasped, throwing her hands over her mouth to try and muffle her excited exclamation from the gloomy crowd that surrounded her. Twisting and turning frantically she looked for a way out, pushing her way out on unsteady legs.

"So, how'd it go?" Luka asked, but her eyes were wide with happiness. Something told Miku she'd known all along.

"I made it!" Miku cried happily, throwing herself at Luka without a second thought and wrapped her arms around her. Any other time, her sudden freezing up and almost unwillingly embracing her back would have concerned Miku, but all she could concentrate on was how happy she was.

"Congratulations!" Luka said, her voice almost as excited as Miku's despite her strange behavior. Happily squealing, Miku gave her one last, tight hug before releasing Luka from her grasp. But as she spun around happily she met a cool gaze that glared back at her.

"So, it seems you were able to make it, after all," Gakupo hissed, venom in his voice. He was clearly all too annoyed Miku had somehow managed to slip passed the hurdles he was sure she wouldn't be able to scale. "It's my duty as club president that I offer you word of congratulations…" He paused, seeming almost disgusted with the protocol. "But I still feel your presence will be a burden."

"And you've been generously heaping that fact on since yesterday, when we decided on our results." Luka cut in, stepping between the two of them as if to shield Miku. "But no matter what you say, she's apart of the club now." A painful silence passed by the two of them as they stared off, neither even willing to spare even a quick blink.

"For now," Gakupo finally added, his lips curving into a cruel smile. "Sure, there's nothing I can do, but she can easily quit the club if she wants, I doubt her leaving at any point in time will be detrimental to the club."

"I wont!" Miku's determined voice suddenly pierced the air. "As long as Luka's in the club, I'm not going to quit!" Gakupo raised a questioning eyebrow as Luka turned back to her in shock, her cheeks taking on a light pink hue. For the first time that day, she reached back and took Miku firmly by the hand, leading her away from the thinning crowd around the clubroom and away from Gakupo, who's eyes were following them with a questioning look.

"Luka…what's wrong?" Miku asked as she was pulled through the front doors of the school. Her grip on her hand was a bit too snug and she was tugging slightly, as if she wasn't walking fast enough. The moment Miku spoke up it was as if Luka was pulled back to reality, her fast pace stopping completely as her grip loosened. She was quiet for a moment; her eyes were focused on the ground like she was trying to recall words. Now it was Miku's turn to grip Luka's hand –albeit not as hard- as she took it with both hands.

"I'm sorry, I'm just not a big fan of Gakupo, that's all," Luka finally said, a smile slowly making it's way back to her face as she spoke. "Plus, I was thinking of maybe taking you out as a reward for doing so well at the tryouts. Wouldn't want to waste any time talking to that stick-in-the-mud, right?" Miku had to admit, doing anything at all was better than facing Gakupo, so she nodded in agreement, the thought of going out with Luka sounding like the cherry on top of a perfect day.

"There's this cute little cake shop I've been meaning to visit anyway," Miku grinned, bouncing happily. "Could we go there?" For a split second Luka's eyes darted back and fourth before she reached up, her soft fingers running along Miku's cheek gently.

"Whatever you want," She nodded. "I've always wanted to know what your lips tasted like after eating sweets."

* * *

Miku blushed happily, lightly licking her lips that still bore the flavors of the cake she had eaten and Luka's lips that mingled perfectly together. Once they had reached the cake shop Luka had been waiting for weeks to eat at, all Miku could think of then was how much she anticipated Luka's kisses instead of the sweets. And they were certainly worth the wait, her lips and tongue bearing hints with strawberry short cake. It was almost like a dessert in and of itself. And like always, it left her wanting more. In her own perfect world, her and Luka's kisses would never end.

"I take it you liked it as much as I did?" Luka asked in a hushed voice. She'd insisted the two of them share their cake-flavored kisses in the darkened alleyway next to the cake shop, away from the prying eyes of the crowds wandering about the shopping district. And when it came to Luka's lips, Miku didn't care where they were, as long as they smothered her own.

"It was sweet," Miku nodded, taking a baby step closer so she could feel Luka's body pressed against hers from inside her uniform. The heat that radiated from her body was as inviting as her eyes. "Can I have another?"

"I shouldn't spoil you…" Luka chortled, already leaning in, tempting Miku with the promises of another delectable kiss. "I guess it would be alright to give you one more." Their lips met a second time, this time in a less heated manner than before. Their lips meshed together as Miku's soft, needy moans just barely managed to escape from between them and lightly bounce off the walls of the alleyway and echo around them. The kiss, to her, was more satisfying than the one before as the lip lock slowly evolved into a heated dance between their tongues. A combination of the flavor of cake the two girls had eaten and saliva was exchanged, filling Miku's mouth with a flavor she could never grow tired of.

"Ahh…" Miku gasped breathlessly as she felt Luka begin to break the kiss, putting distance between their tongues and lips.

"Like I said, I'd hate to spoil you too much," Luka smiled sweetly, reaching out to wipe away a stray trail of drool that had begun to travel down Miku's chin. She watched, as if hypnotized, as Luka brought her hand back, licking away the small morsel of drool from her finger. "You always kiss more passionately when you really crave my kisses." Thoughts still swimming in the depths of passion, Miku couldn't stop herself from groaning in frustration. "Don't worry, there will be plenty more. But, in the meantime… it's getting late, I really should be getting home-"

"Stay!" Miku finally was able to utter, her single word breathy and as sweet as the kiss they had just shared. "Tomorrow's Sunday, you could stay at my house."

"Miku-"

"Please, just this once. The last time we hardly had time to do anything besides study sheet music. I want to be with you for one night where all I have to focus on is you!" Miku begged, her hands traveling from Luka's warm hips to her hands, gripping them desperately. "One night where there's nothing but you…your hands…your eyes…your lips…" Luka looked at her in surprise for a moment, her expression staying that way long enough for Miku to begin to assume the night between them that she longed for was far from her grasp.

"For someone so clumsy, you certainly have a way with words…" She finally spoke, her warm smile returning and filling Miku with joy. "I guess if you put it that way, one night together should be fine." Miku's eyes lit up, the feeling of excitement building inside of her like it had so many times that day.

"If it means I get to see that cute smile on your face," Luka continued, her fingers tracing a line from Miku's cheek to around her lower lip, "I'll stay with you tonight."

* * *

"Miku?" Luka peeked into Miku's room. It seemed strange she had left their bath together early, and now it seemed she had disappeared. "Miku?" She walked in, looking around for any of the places she could be hiding. A sudden cool breeze caught her attention, drawing it to the open window. The cold night air ran across her skin still warm from the bath, and for a moment it felt soothing.

"Luka!" It took every inch of her will not to cry out in surprise as a figure suddenly appeared at the window. It was Miku, seeming all too pleased she'd frightened her.

"What are you doing!?" She asked, a blush warming her cheeks. "It's dangerous out there, you should come back inside." She reached out, trying to pull her back in, but instead she found herself being pulled toward the window.

"What are you talking about, it's plenty safe," Miku chuckled. "I come out here a lot and I haven't gotten hurt yet. That's proof it's safe!"

"But-"

"Come on, I'll make sure you don't fall, okay?" Miku looked at Luka kindly. "I want to share something with you." Luka was hesitant at first, putting up a feeble fight in trying to escape Miku's grasp. But, slowly but surely, she became willing, allowing Miku to lead her onto the windowsill. Luka held back another cry, this time from fear of loosing her balance. The room right below the windowsill hardly seemed safe enough for someone to walk on. There was such little space for footing, and from above it seemed like a long way down.

"Miku, I'm really not sure about this…" Luka muttered, one hand clinging to Miku's, the other to the window frame. "Do I really need to see this thing you want to show me?"

"Yes, now come on," Miku smiled, her voice now lowered to a whisper now that she was back outside. "I promise, I'm not going to let you fall." Luka looked down to the ground one more time before looking back to Miku, shakily taking her hand off the window frame to reach for Miku's other outstretched hand. Both their hands clasped around each other, Miku slowly led Luka away from the narrow part of the roof. Once they reached a point where her fear of falling could be disregarded, Luka waited until her and Miku were sitting on the rough shingles before the wrapped her arms around her, heaving a sigh of relief.

"Sorry about that," Miku said, returning Luka's hug. "But now that we're here I can show you…"

"Show me what?"

"Just look up." Luka obeyed, turning her head up to see a cloudless sky dotted with millions of stars, the bright glow of the moon adding to the majestic night's display. "It's easier to see the stars from up here. I come up here when I'm stressed- there's something about the night sky that's almost calming."

"It is…" Luka said in awe. "I guess I never take the time to look up at them, I never imagined I'd be able to see this many."

"Yeah, their pretty beautiful," Miku said softy, turning her gaze from the millions of twinkling lights to Luka. "Not as beautiful as you, but a pretty close second, I think."

"Please, don't flatter me," Luka snorted, rolling her eyes.

"I mean it!" Miku told her, resting her hands that had been wrapped around her on her shoulders. "The moment I saw you that first day, this gorgeous view immediately took backseat. The moon looked duller, and the stars lost their twinkle. But now that you're here with me, sharing this place with the view that you easily outclass… it makes everything perfect." She reached up, brushing hair out of Luka's face. "Seeing all these beautiful stars reflected in your eyes… I'll never be able to look up at the stars the same way again now that I've gotten to see them there." Luka remained silent for a short moment as the two of them stared at one another while Miku's hand slowly traveled down her cheek.

"I truly envy these stars," she finally spoke up, turning her gaze to the dark sky. "They were the ones you looked at all these years, the ones you thought were the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. I makes me wish I could have found you sooner, so I could have been the one you turned to when you weren't feeling at ease."

"You are now," Miku said silently. "You're here with me now, that's all that matters." Luka turned away from the stars, her eyes meeting Miku's moments before they were locked in yet another kiss. The simple contact of lips was enough to draw a shiver up Miku's spine as she leaned in closer, silently begging for the kiss to deepen. She felt Luka wrap her arms around her, pulling her close to the point where Miku was practically on her lap. Body's pressed together as close as their lips, the two of them could feel the other's racing heart beat through the other's chest. Running her hands slowly along Luka's curves, Miku couldn't help but smile into the kiss as it began to grow deeper.

"I love you," She found herself saying in the heat of passion as Luka drew back. She laughed lightly at her words, planting a quick peck on her warm cheeks.

"I love you, too," She whispered, turning her attention away from Miku for a split second before returning.

"Miku, could I see your hand for a moment?" She asked. With no opposition, Miku lifted her hand for Luka to take as she felt something cool slip around her ring finger. Confused, she look down to see a silver band wrapped snugly around her finger that easily reflected the view of the starry night sky above them.

"Luka…" she gasped, holding her hand closer to examine the ring. With a warm smile on her face, Luka held her own hand up, revealing the same sort of ring around her own finger. "…Thank you! It's…it's…" Miku felt the sting of tears as they began to spill.

"Ah! Are you alright?" Luka gasped, giving her crying companion a worried look.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Miku laughed, a smile on her face despite the tears. "I'm just…so happy." She reached up to wipe away the salty droplets only for Luka to stop her. She grasped at her hands, keeping them where they were as she leaned in, licking away one of the salty streams. Miku jumped, feeling her cheeks growing all the warmer as Luka pulled away. She dared not reach up to wipe away her tears now, not with the sensation of Luka's tongue still fresh against her skin. Instead she gave her a loving smile, her eyes traveling back to the ring she had given her.

"Ah!" Luka exclaimed, pointing up at the sky. "A shooting star!" Miku forced herself to look away from the ring to look to where Luka had pointed, but the shooting star had already passed.

"Darn, seems I missed it," She sighed, turning back around.

"That's a shame, you don't see many shooting stars these days," Luka said, "You could have made a wish."

"Not really," Miku smiled, shaking her head as she took Luka's hand, feeling the cool surface of Luka's own ring with her fingers as she entwined them with her's. "I already have everything I could ever wish for."

* * *

Miku slowly opened her eyes to sunlight beginning to fill the dark corners of her room and the feeling of a warm embrace. Sleepily, she looked around, finding Luka snuggled under her covers along with her. Both of them had stripped off their clothes sometime during the night, and now they both lay beneath the sheets with their naked bodies pressed against and wrapped around each other. Arms and legs were tangled, leaving no room for Miku to wiggle without waking Luka up, but she was fine with it. She could feel every inch of Luka's soft skin with her body and when her chest rose as she breathed. She longed to press herself just a bit closer so she could feel Luka's sizable breasts just a bit more against her. But before she could even try, Luka's deep blue eyes fluttered open as she greeted Miku with a sleepy smile.

"Good morning," she mumbled, and almost like she had read Miku's mind, she pulled Miku closer to her. Miku couldn't help but blush as she smiled back at her.

"Morning," She responded, nuzzling against Luka, who giggled.

"Hey, that tickles!" she laughed, sitting up.

"Awww, but I can't help it." Miku mumbled in mock sadness as she slowly propped herself up, but as she looked to Luka she came to find she had already slid off the bed, gathering up her discarded clothes from the floor.

"Hey…"

"Sorry I have to leave so soon," Luka sighed, looking over to Miku with sorrowful eyes. "I promised my father I'd be back early if he let me stay over. I hope that's alright." Miku desperately wanted to say no and to reach out and pull Luka back to bed. She wanted to take in her nude form longer, to feel their body's entwining again. But instead she heaved a loud sigh of defeat.

"That's fine," she mumbled, lying belly-first back onto her bed, her voice muffled by the mattress.

"Sorry," Luka said, walking over as she began to slip on her clothes. Her body now clad in her underwear she knelt down, now eye to eye with Miku who looked back at her with a look that begged her to stay. "I'll see you on Monday, alright? It'll be our first day of being in the same club together." She ruffled Miku's already messy hair, laughing as Miku flopped around to try and bat her hand away.

"I just wish you didn't have to go," Miku muttered, giving Luka puppy eyes.

"As long as you have this I'll never really be gone," Luka told her, taking Miku's hand to show her the silver ring she had given her. Miku couldn't help but smile.

"Alright," She sighed, pushing herself upward. "Just one last kiss before you go."

"Fine," Luka smiled sweetly, cupping Miku's chin. "If it means you'll be happy until we see each other again, I'll be happy too."


	5. Chapter 5: Arms

Miku ran as fast as her legs could carry her down the empty sidewalk. Doing so had become a ritual of sorts- not because she'd been religiously late every morning, but because she didn't want to make Luka wait any longer than need be.

The two of them, over the past week, had created a designated meeting spot. And every day, no matter how fast she ran, Miku would always be greeted with a joking "Took you long enough." Today was the day she beat Luka to the meeting point. At least once, she wanted to make some joking comment about how she had to wait for her. However, as she turned the final corner, her eyes immediately caught the familiar sight of long pink hair gently flowing in the morning breeze.

"Ah!" She exclaimed without thinking, coming to a screeching halt. Luka's familiar polite laughter filled the air as Miku tried to catch her breath, hunched over in defeat now that she had come to a stop.

"Took you long enough," She giggled, the familiar phrase piercing Miku's ears. Groaning in frustration Miku slowly and ungracefully stood upright. But before she could open her mouth Luka extended her hand to her. "But points for making the effort."

"Thanks," Miku sighed, taking Luka's hand as the two of them began their trip to school. The feeling of Luka's fingers entwined in her's seemed to sooth her frustration, for then. Now all she had to do was get lost in the sensation of the warmth and the silky smooth feeling of her hand wrapped around her own. But the comfortable silence between them as they walked was quickly broken.

"Miku! Luka!" A split second after their names were shouted, Luka quickly snatched her hand back as if Miku's was burning her. A hurt feeling ran through Miku's heart as she looked down to her now empty hand. This was something Luka had been doing a lot and with each passing day it seemed to be happening more often. She'd let go of her hand abruptly at the very sight of other people, and before every kiss it was as if Luka had to inspect the entire street before bestowing the kisses she loved so dearly. Even the way she would say I love you would waver day by day, her eyes darting back and fourth and hardly looking at Miku while she said it. It pained Miku, and each time the sting only grew worse and worse and each time Miku would force herself to push the feelings as far back as she could. She'd layer excuses on top of her hurt feelings: She was just surprised by someone calling their names, she was just imagining things when her confessions of love seemed painfully forced. Whatever it was, she'd endure it because her love overpowered any sort of doubt she had, and she was sure Luka felt the same.

"Good morning Rin, Len," Miku greeted, putting on a smile for her friends as they ran to meet her and Luka.

"Good morning," Rin said cheerfully.

"How's the choir club coming along?" Len asked curiously. "Your first concert is a few weeks away, right?"

"Mm Hmm," Luka nodded, not seeming bothered as Miku about how quickly she'd pulled her hand away. Her usual kind smile alighted her face as it usually did as if nothing was wrong.

"Miss Meiko's been really helpful, she doesn't get frustrated when I accidentally mess up," Miku added. "I wish I could say the same for Gakupo, though."

"Oh, don't let that stuck-up loser get you down," Rin chuckled. "He's just mad you got in." Miku laughed along with her, her eyes traveling over to Luka who didn't meet her gaze. She kept her eyes straight ahead, almost as if she wasn't even there. She looked away, nervously, instinctively reaching down to run her fingers along the ring Luka had given her. It was probably just a fluke, she thought to herself, that's all.

* * *

"Very good job today, everyone," Miss Meiko smiled after they'd wrapped up rehearsing. Miku couldn't help but heavily sigh. Thoughts from that morning were swimming about her mind, along with all the other instances Luka had acted strangely distant. Her suddenly pulling away when Rin and Len joined them seemed to personify every other little, odd thing Luka had been doing lately. In an attempt to make herself feel better she looked to Luka who gave her the quickest of glances and a speedy smile that was hardly enough to satisfy her.

"And now that I'm more than sure we'll be more than ready by the time our concert rolls around, I have an announcement." Everyone who had been getting ready to descend from the risers looked at their teacher curiously. "I originally was planning on possibly using it for our next concert, but I've decided to add a duet to our program."

"Miss Meiko, if I may, a whole new number could throw off our practicing," Gakupo complained, sharpness buried beneath his polite words. "If we're doing so well we shouldn't just add another song."

"I know it sounds a little rash, but I'm sure we'll be able to pull it off. I even have the two perfect people for the job." Miss Meiko smiled, her eyes lighting up in excitement. "I figured Miku and Luka would be a perfect pair for this duet." Everyone broke out into a chorus of surprised whispers as Miku looked to Luka excitedly. Luka looked just as surprised as everyone else, but at least now she was looking back at Miku, giving her enough time to take in this new expression in her deep blue eyes.

"Miss Meiko, Miku just started in this club, I don't think-" Gakupo began to protest.

"Miku was able to learn the material for the tryouts in a week, if you recall, Gakupo," Miss Meiko told him, sounding a bit more stern than before. "I'm sure she'll be able to handle a duet, especially is Luka's there to help her out like before." Surprisingly enough, he didn't talk back, but threw a threatening look Miku's way, channeling all of his scorn into a single glance. For a short moment, Miku's excitement over the ordeal was overpowered by fear.

"As for the material, it's a piece I found rather recently and it was much too beautiful to pass up," Miss Meiko continued, the usual whimsical tone in her voice returning now that Gakupo was grudgingly going along with her decision. "It's about a couple, locked in the heated passion of a forbidden love. And I feel both the parts in the duet suit Miku and Luka's voices perfectly." Miku couldn't care less about how ironic the material was, but as she looked to Luka a whole new expression was stretched tightly across her face. She looked as if someone had punched her in the gut and she could just make out her lightly biting down on her bottom lip nervously.

"I'll give you two time to think about it, until then you're dismissed for today," Miss Meiko concluded as everyone resumed their usual routines of gathering up their things and filing out of the room.

"Congratulations you guys!" Gumi cheered, meeting up with Luka and Miku just as they began to leave the room. "I've never gotten to sing a duet before, you two are lucky!"

"Yeah, lucky," Luka said, her voice sounding extremely unenthused.

"You sure you won't get too overwhelmed, Miku?" Gumi asked, turning her attention to her concerned looking junior. It wasn't the song that was worrying her- it was the whole new side of Luka that had emerged. "And by overwhelmed, I mean by that stupid Gakupo, not by the song. I know you can handle that."

"Gakupo can say all he wants, I'm not about to change my mind because he thinks I have no right to be here still," Miku told her bravely, wiping the concerned look on her face and replaced it with a determined one as she comically puffed out her chest.

"That's the spirit!" Gumi giggled, giving Miku a friendly punch on the arm. "See you guys tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," the two said in unison as Gumi ran off down the hall, waving all the way until she turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

"Miku…" Luka said softly, like she didn't want the other students filing out along side them to hear.

"Hmm?" Miku turned to her, her smile from talking to Gumi still on her lips.

"I don't think we should do the duet," she told her, eyes focused on the floor. "We should give it to someone else." Miku stopped, looking at Luka in shock, who still refused to meet her eyes.

"Why!?" Miku gasped, "What's wrong!?"

"Nothing it's just… the whole theme of the song makes me a little uncomfortable, that's all. I don't think I'd be able to properly sing it in front of an audience…"

"What are you talking about, the song is perfect!" Miku exclaimed. She never thought she could feel this way towards her, but she felt angry. Fists clenched and eyebrows furrowing in frustration she demanded to know why Luka was refusing to sing the song. "It's practically our song, I mean, you and I are-"

"Shh! Not so loud!" Luka snapped, looking frightful. Miku looked at her in disbelief, her eyes widening in shock before narrowing again. Now Luka's strange behavior made sense, or maybe she finally was able to see it for what it was instead of shrugging it off.

"You love me, don't you?" She asked, refusing to lower her tone. She felt as if she was being stabbed through the heart as a pained expression began to grow on Luka's face, her eyes darting back and fourth wildly. "Don't you!?"

"I do it's just…"

"Then kiss me!" Miku told her, taking a forceful step forward. "You never had a problem with kissing me before, right?" Her fury was growing along with the volume of her voice. Why was Luka doing this to her, the person she said she loved?

"I-"

"Why don't you hold my hand in public!?" Miku continued, rage burning her eyes more than the tears that had begun to build up. "Why won't you tell me you love me in more than a whisper!? Why do you only decide to love me when we're alone!?"

"Because it's embarrassing!" Luka cried, her words ringing in Miku's ears, who took an unsteady step backward. "I don't want people to think I'm strange! I don't want people to judge me because I'm in love with a girl!" Miku's mouth hung open as wide as it could go, every word causing her heart to sting more and more.

"Is that what you think?" she finally spoke, her voice cracking as her vision began to blur with tears. "Is that what you think about our relationship? That it's embarrassing?"

"I- I didn't mean it like that, Miku," Luka sighed, as if what she had said wasn't such a big deal. "You know how people are, who knows what they say if they knew about us…" She reached out, her hand resting on Miku's shoulder. The small touch seemed to hurt now, more than soothe her.

"Don't touch me!" Miku snapped, smacking Luka's hand away as she stumbled backward. "People might start judging you, after all." Her words were laced with venom and her eyes were full of anger and tears.

"Miku-"

"Just shut up!" Miku growled. "All this time you were ashamed that you were in love with me. All this time…" Something inside Miku hopped for a quick resolve. That Luka would tell her that her assumptions weren't true and bring her into a familiar warm hug once more.

"I'm sorry…" Luka's words dug deep. She wasn't denying her shame, she was apologizing for it. There were no more words Miku could say- everything that she could have said became lost in a sea of gasps and tears. "But I still love you."

"No you don't!" Miku yelled before turning around. She couldn't bare to look at Luka's face any more, even if tears had blurred her vision. The face she yearned to see- the face that would usually brighten up her day- she couldn't bare to look at it anymore. Before Luka could get another word in Miku ran down the hallway.

"No you don't." she muttered to herself as she cried. "No you don't…"

* * *

Miku hugged her legs against her chest as she sobbed. She hadn't run very far from Luka or even memories of her. She'd hid herself in the practice room where Luka had trained her for the tryouts. Reminiscing about the times they had in there only hurt her, but it was all she could think about as she cried. All she could think of was back when she thought Luka loved her no matter what. Laughing together, singing together, holding one another in a loving embrace, so many good times between them had been shared in that room. Wrapping her arms around herself she tried to imagine they were Luka's and that their fight had never happened- That she had ran after her and found her and chased all her sadness away with warm hugs and kisses.

"Hey, is someone in here?" Miku gasped, turning her head sharply as someone opened the door, filling the dark practice room with light. It was Kaito, looking back at her in surprise. Immediately she tried to hide her tears, wiping them away on her sleeve.

"Oh, it's you," she muttered, her voice betraying her and giving away she had been crying.

"Miku!" He said in surprise, walking into the room. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she mumbled, turning away.

"That doesn't sound like fine," He told her, crouching down so the two of them were face to tear-streaked face. "Usually people don't cry when they're fine, at least not like this."

"It's none of your business," Miku snapped, trying to shift away.

"I didn't say it was," He shrugged. "But I know that when someone is crying, it's a bad idea to just leave them alone, right?" Miku hated to admit it, but he was right. She wanted more than anything for someone to be with her, although she had hoped that person would be Luka. But it seemed now that her coming to her rescue wasn't going to happen. And here was Kaito, willing to lend his shoulder without even trying to pry. Without a second thought she turned to him, throwing her arms around him and burying her face into his shirt as she cried. And as she felt his arms wrap around her as well she couldn't help but feel the same comforting feeling she felt whenever Luka wrapped her in an embrace.

* * *

Kaito held Miku until she cried every tear she could muster. He didn't try to get out of it some way or act uncomfortable, he just silently embraced her until she had no more tears to cry. Even afterward, he walked her home, not even once asking about why she had been crying by herself in the practice room. They just gabbed about the club and how school was going as if they were old friends. It felt strange to Miku how easily she could talk to him, how easily she could forget her troubles and laugh with him.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" He had asked her once they got to her house.

"I'll be fine, really," Miku told him with a reassuring smile. "But thank you…for everything."

"Hey, don't mention it. It's the least I can do for a cute girl like you." The blush that warmed Miku's cheeks remained all throughout the evening after he said those words. No matter what she did she couldn't get them out of her head. Something about the way he'd said it, a sincere look in his eyes and a smile on his face, seemed to light a small flame inside of her.

The only time during the night that she was able to keep her mind from straying to his words was when her phone rang during the night. Unable to even begin to think about sleep she was able to answer it quickly, but the voice that answered her tired "hello" made her wish she hadn't bothered.

"Miku…It's Luka."

"What?" she asked, anger loud and clear in her voice. Luka hesitated, and for a moment Miku figured she had hung up.

"Could we talk…I'm right outside." She said softly.

"Of course, you want to talk now that there's no possible way anyone could be awake to see us," Miku muttered. She wanted to say no badly. Nothing sounded more appealing than hanging up and leaving Luka to stand outside her house all night, but instead she heaved a heavy sigh as she twisted out of bed. "Fine, I'll be down in a bit."

It was quite clear, even in the dim light of the moon, that Luka had been crying. She looked at Miku with red, puffy eyes, her lips drawn into a sad frown.

"Why are you here?" Miku whispered.

"To say I'm sorry," Luka told her, her voice that was usually clear and crisp sounding hoarse. "I really do love you, you know that. I'm just afraid of what people would think, that's all. I may not be able to express it in front of people but I really do-"

"Save it," Miku sighed. "I don't want to be in a relationship where we have to keep what we have a secret. I don't care what people think, I only care what you think about me! Why can't you feel the same?"

"You wouldn't understand…" Luka muttered.

"You're right." Miku told her, not a single hint of compassion in her voice. "I don't." She reached down, pulling the cool silver band from her finger and holding it out for Luka to take.

"Miku-"

"I don't need this any more." She said. "You said it was to remind me that I would never be alone, but now all it does is remind me that I'll always be alone as long as you treat our relationship like it's some sort of sin. It isn't something to be embarrassed about, it's not something we should hide. If you refuse to cast aside those stupid feelings I don't want this ring."

"I can't," Luka shook her head. "There's no way I can take that back from you."

"Well I don't see any reason why I should keep it." Miku hissed, letting the ring slip from her fingers and fall to the ground, hitting the pavement beneath their feet with a light ping.

"Miku please, don't do this!" Luka cried, her hands clutching at her aching heart. Miku turned away from her before she could catch a glimpse of her tears that might have been able to make her doubt her resolve.

"I didn't do anything," She said, walking away from Luka and back toward the door. "You did." And just as Luka's silent sobs reached her ears, she closed the door. Leaning against it she slid to the floor, hiding her face in her hands as she felt tears finally reach her as well.


	6. Chapter 6: Claws

"I'm sad to say, but I'm a bit disappointed in you two," Miss Meiko said with a sad sigh. After rehearsal had ended, she'd asked for Miku and Luka to stay. The two of them looked down at their feet and away from one another, "I wasn't surprised when you couldn't get the song down at first, but our concert is a week away."

"Sorry…" The two girls apologized in unison. Miss Meiko sighed again, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Please, I don't want to cut this song from the program, especially when I thought I found the two perfect people for it." She told them sternly. "The next time I hear this song from you two I want it to be sung like you two are lovers, not a couple of robots, understand?" The two of them nodded as Miku looked at Luka in the corner of her eye. Her head was still turned down, her blue eyes that had seemed so deep to her at one point looking empty.

'Like we're lovers', she thought to herself bitterly, turning her attention to the view of the floor she'd been so engrossed in. By some miracle, Luka hadn't dropped the duet, and Miku didn't want to give Gakupo the satisfaction, so she had no other choice but to act like she still wanted to sing it. But every day it was painful and it hurt her heart as well as her throat to sing as if her and Luka truly were passionate about one another. By now it was a distant memory.

"I have faith in the two of you, you both have real potential." Miss Meiko added with a smile. "So do try your best tomorrow, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am," The two of them said. And with a few more words of encouragement, Miss Meiko sent them on their way. And as they walked down the empty hallway, Miku couldn't help but feel the itch of wanting to say something to Luka. Staring at the older girl's back she tried to come up with words to say, but before she could speak them she felt a hand rest on her shoulder.

"Hey!" Miku jumped, turning around to find Kaito standing behind her, greeting her with a warm smile that quickly washed her worries away.

"Oh, hi!" She said, smiling back at him. Looking over her shoulder she caught sight of Luka turning the corner and out of sight, her intentions to try and speak to her dying.

"So, Meiko finally chewed you two out, huh?" Kaito asked. Unable to withhold it, Miku heaved a sigh, nodding her head as her eyes traveled down to the floor. "It was only a matter of time, I guess, even super patient Miss Meiko has her limits. Why didn't you just drop the duet early on?"

"It's complicated…" She muttered. "It won't make any sense to you, but it's mostly for closure for something." She began to feel a small lump grow in her throat that threatened to grow and bring tears along with it the more she thought of the song and Luka. A sudden feeling of pressure against the top of her head brought her around as she looked up to find Kaito giving her a friendly pat on the head.

"Try not to be so down, I'm sure you'll pull through." Her told her with an assuring grin. "I've heard your voice during our other pieces and you sound just fine. It's probably just nerves."

"That might me it…" Miku lied, unable to shake the heavy feeling of sadness off her shoulders all the way.

"You aren't doing anything later, are you?" Kaito inquired. "Maybe if you took some time to relax maybe you'll find that spark to do well. It may not be much, but we could go out for ice cream or something…" Her averted his gaze, his usual grin wavering as a light blush slowly formed on his cheeks, much to Miku's surprise. "I mean, if you want to. I understand if you-"

"I'd love to," Miku cut in. He looked to her with shock in his eyes, as if he'd expected her to turn him down, before his expression softened. It was strange, seeing Kaito smile seemed to make a familiar feeling in Miku's chest start to bloom, and it brought out the first legitimate smile she'd made in weeks.

Maybe he's right, she thought to herself, all this time I've been thinking about Luka. Maybe I should just relax.

* * *

Miku couldn't seem to pin point why, but Kaito seemed to have the ability to make all her worries vanish. It may have been the fact that, yet again, he restrained himself from prying. She couldn't even keep track of how many times people had asked her what was wrong since the incident with Luka. Everyone seemed to want to know the reason for why she couldn't bring herself to smile or why she seemed to have lost a large amount of her usual energy, but not Kaito. All he wanted to seem to do was bring that smile back, to make her feel alive again. She loved his silly quirks and she adored his smile that made her want to smile all the wider.

But, somehow, no matter how much she liked the way he acted, she felt almost distraught when she felt him wrap his hand around hers as they walked back from the ice cream shop. She suddenly felt herself fighting the urge to pull away and she felt her face grow warm as people quietly cooed over how they seemed like a cute couple. She found herself trying to imagine his large, warm hand was Luka's, and it made her feel even more worse.

"Hey…Miku…" Kaito spoke up once they had reached the more suburban area of town and had escaped the shopping crowds. She felt him tighten his grip on her hand ever so slightly as he broke the silence between them.

"Y-Yes?" she asked, her feeling of uneasiness clear in her voice that wavered as she spoke.

"I'm really glad you joined the choir club," He said softly. "You may not know it, but your voice is beautiful. When I first heard you sing at the try outs, I thought you were an angel."

"An angel?" She asked, keeping her gaze glued to the ground, trying to focus on the number of footsteps she took to keep herself from blushing. "Well…whoever that girl is, I don't think she's coming back. I only sang like that because I had a reason to, and now I don't even know what that reason is anymore."

"Then let me be your reason!" Miku was unable to mask her gasp as she stopped, snatching her hand out of Kaito's grip.

"What?"

"I know it sounds really stupid, but…" He turned to face her, resting his hands firmly on her shoulders. She jumped in surprise under his grip as their eyes locked. "I really like you, Miku, and it hurts me to see you so sad all the time. I don't care what it is, but all I want to do is bring back the you I…" He paused, and at first it seemed he was going to abandon what he said, but then he turned back to her with a hard stare, his eyes digging deep into Miku's so she couldn't bear to look away. "The you I fell in love with!"

"The me…you…" Miku's brain locked up to the point where she could hardly gather enough thought to speak. She could only stammer as she watched as Kaito slowly leaned in closer. The smell of mint ice cream that clung to his break filled her nose.

"I want to be the reason you sing, Miku. All I could think of back then was how much I wanted to be the reason you sang so beautifully! So please…Let me be your happiness." Miku felt powerless as she felt him press his lips against hers. The kiss was forceful and rough against her soft lips, and she felt him pull her closer to deepen it even more. At first she allowed it to happen, moving to Kaito's will as she parted her lips, silently allowing his tongue access. But as the cool taste of mint filled her mouth her memories betrayed her. She thought of Luka and the cake flavored kiss they had shared what seemed like an eternity ago. She thought of her smile, her eyes she could get lost in, and her velvety soft skin. At that moment, now that Luka had once again wormed her way into her mind, she couldn't bear the feeling of Kaito's tongue worming it's way inside her mouth.

"No!" she gasped breathlessly, pulling away from his lips and his embrace. "I…I can't, not like this…"

"What do you mean?" Miku felt her own heart sink hearing Kaito's voice filled with hurt.

"I'm sorry…I…I need time to think about this," She shook her head, refusing to look into his eyes. Chances are they were just as sad as his voice sounded. "I mean…It's very nice of you but… I need a little time."

"How much time?" He asked. "I don't think I can wait much longer." Miku sighed, eyes fixed on her shoes as she thought.

"Give me a few days, okay?" She pleaded, finally looking up to meet his gaze. "I want to be happy, I really do but… right now my thoughts are a mess. Right now, something inside me doesn't want anyone else to be the reason I smile or sing, and if I move on too soon I might end up hurting the both of us." A wave of relief washed over her as she watched his eyes light up just a bit. In a familiar action he reached out, patting her head.

"Alright, I guess a few days won't hurt." He sighed, a weak smile on his face.

"Thank you." She smiled back. She took in his look as much as she could, and every look he made and every word he said until they reached her house and he bid her good evening in desperate hope that flooding her memory with him would keep her dreams from drifting to Luka again.

* * *

Miku felt herself being pulled from her dreams by the loud chime of her cell phone. Looking to her clock she groaned, confirming that, whoever it was, they were calling at an awfully late hour. But she resisted her urge to simply let the phone ring and sleepily reached out and snatched it from the floor. However, when her eyes focused enough to see the number she suddenly felt more awake then ever.

"Luka!?" She gasped, answering the phone. At first there was silence, and she had half the mind to hang up then.

"Why?" Luka's voice was low and sounded hurt, and it sent a shiver up Miku's spine.

"Why what?"

"Why did you kiss him?" Miku felt herself straighten up, her eyes widening in shock.

"What do you mean Kaito… wait!" She gasped. "Were you following us!? Luka you-"

"I warned you about him! He's a massive womanizer, there's nothing good about him!" Luka shouted. Miku's surprise morphed hideously into anger.

"What do you know!?" She snapped. "He told me he wanted me to be happy! He cares about me!"

"I'm sure he's said that to other girls!" Luka urged. "Miku, you shouldn't hang around him-"

"What the hell, Luka!?" Miku cried, tears of frustration beginning to build up. "You refuse to love me, and now you won't let me near any one else! Just stop it already!"

"Miku, I just-"

"Just leave me alone!" Miku continued. "Get out of my life! Get out of my thoughts! I can't bare to have you there anymore!" In her anger she hung up before Luka could say another syllable. She chocked back a shriek as she threw her phone across the room, watching as it hit the wall and fell to the floor. Hiding her face in her hands and drawing up her knees, she began to cry.

"Just…go away!"

* * *

Miku felt all but lively the next day. Her entire body felt as if it were filled with lead, and it took a massive amount of effort to drag herself from place to place that day, the choir room especially. She found herself standing statue still at the doors, hand poised and ready to open it, but unwilling to complete the motion.

The call from Luka the other night had confused her and shocked her. She didn't know what to think anymore except for the fact she was frightened of what would happen next. She was frightened of what awaited her beyond the door and she was frightened to sing, especially the duet. After last night she couldn't bare to even think about looking Luka in the eyes, let alone sing alongside her.

Much to even her own surprise she found herself backing out, taking her hand away from the door as if it had burned her and taking a wide step backward. There was no way she could bring herself to face her. All she could think was how far they had fallen and how angry and scared she was, and she couldn't properly handle it for another day.

Backing up one step more she felt herself run into someone and quickly whirled around in surprise, her look of fear now escalating into pure terror. Her heart skipped a beat shortly before she came to notice who it was.

"Kaito!" She gasped, trying to wipe the wide-eyed look off of her face.

"Miku, what's wrong?" He asked her, her attempts to hide her fright obviously proving to be in vain. She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't find the words. Instead her eyes traveled from his concerned expression down to the floor. Tongue tied and fearful, her mind wandered to the other night and her call from Luka. Standing before Kaito now, her fear was quickly replaced with anger that had been floating just beneath the surface.

_"Miku, you shouldn't hang around him."_

"I've decided," she said in almost a whisper. Reaching out she grasped the shirt of his uniform, pressing herself close enough that she could hear his heartbeat that instantly began to speed up and thump violently against his chest. "I want to be happy! I want to be able to smile again! Kaito I…" A sudden rush of warmth heated her cheeks that contrasted against the coolness of the tears that had begun to overflow. Why was she crying? Why did her heart hurt so much? "I want you to be that happiness! I want you to be the reason I smile!" The words were easy to say, there was hardly any resistance, but somehow they stung.

"Miku…" Kaito whispered softly, wrapping his arms firmly around her. "Thank you."

Miku smiled through her tears, but it felt so forced to her and it took work to keep it on her lips. Even though she had allowed her self to give her heart to another person, even though she was wrapped in his arms, why was she still thinking of Luka?


	7. Chapter 7: Voices

The night before the concert, Miku couldn't help but feel restless. She couldn't even so much as will herself to close her eyes. She'd talked to Kaito enough that day, she'd decided, and calling him yet again in hopes talking to him would bring her peace so late at night wouldn't be the best option. He'd been apart of plenty of concerts before, she was sure he wasn't sitting up in bed like her, opening and closing his phone indecisively like her.

That and talking to him only seemed to bring her temporary relief. She loved talking to him, that was for sure. She loved the way he always seemed happy- Happy to hear her problems, happy to spare whatever time he had to talk to her, happy to hold her hand and kiss her if she ever were to ask. But something about it always left her wanting. Something wasn't right. Something was missing, and it was something that his smile and his voice couldn't bring her.

She withheld a frustrated groan, turning it into a long sigh as she came to find she'd been filling through her contacts yet again. Luka's name was highlighted on the screen and her thumb hovered apprehensively over the select button. Why could she never bring herself to delete her number? Why was she finding herself, yet again, going back and fourth in her mind whether or not she should press down and call her.

"Stupid," She muttered to herself, angrily snapping her phone closed and, for good measure, tossed it over her bed and out of her reach. "I don't need to call her. I don't need her anymore…" In her head she continued, adding an unsure: "Don't I?" Turning her eyes to her window she looked to the night sky peppered with stars. Even now, they still looked dull to her.

* * *

"Wow, that was quite a yawn!" Rin gasped in amazement. Miku agreed silently, rubbing sleep from her eyes. It was an exhausting feeling to be nervous on top of being deprived of sleep. She'd finally managed to drift into slumber just as the sun had begun to dye the black sky a light pink, and even that seemed like only a few brief seconds to her. Now her stomach was churning nervously and she was fighting to keep her eyes open.

"That's so you, pulling some sort of all-nighter before something as big as this," Len chuckled, his voice echoing from the back of the stage. The Choir students had been required to stay after school until the concert, but no one had shown up yet and Miku didn't want to be left alone. Being alone meant there was time for her mind to wander, all thoughts leading to long, flowing pink hair and deep blue eyes she was so sure were going to be easy to put from her mind when she forced herself to put her heart into another person. So she'd dragged Rin and Len along with her, who didn't seem to mind in the slightest. They seemed to enjoy exploring the stage as well as poking fun at their friend's sleepiness some more.

"I couldn't sleep, that's all," Miku muttered, restraining herself from yawning a second time as she spoke. She sat at the edge of the stage, swinging her legs and knocking her heels hard against the apron in hopes that the pain would shock her into being more awake. "You'd be nervous, too, if you-" Miku cut herself off as the sound of the auditorium doors reverently opening barely managed to fill the room. The sudden halt of footsteps that had begun to echo through the room alerted her to who it was. Someone who was having second thoughts about coming in, seeing as the only person in the auditorium –who was in the choir club, at least- was Miku. Despite all of her will being channeled into not looking to acknowledge who it was, she found herself looking to the back of the auditorium almost willingly.

"Oh…" It was Luka, who'd begun to nervously look from side to side as if looking for a way to escape. "I figured everyone else would be here by now…" Miku felt some soft of electrical surge run through her veins. Other than hearing Luka sing (Rather unenthusiastically as Meiko has stressed over and over) it had been what felt like forever since she heard her voice. It filled the room that was already quickly overflowing with a suffocatingly awkward feeling with a strangely soothing one that left Miku feeling confused.

And also mad, because she couldn't stop herself from wanting to hear it again.

"Everyone's just slacking, I guess," Miku explained monotonously, her eyes darting to a corner in the room. She felt ever muscle in her body grow tense as she heard Luka's footsteps start up again.

"Oh, someone's here!" Rin exclaimed, walking out from behind the curtain. "We should probably get going anyway." She leaned backward, calling loudly backstage. "Len, it's time to go! And stop touching that, I don't think you're allowed to!" Miku wanted to beg them to stay, and wanted someone there to talk to besides the person that hurt her to even think about. But her mouth remained closed as she waved goodbye instead, a forced smile on her face as the two of them promised to come later that afternoon to see the performance.

Once the twins were gone, the room was uncomfortably silent aside from the noises from outside in the hallway, where Miku wanted to dash off to. Instead she remained perched on the apron of the stage, watching her feet sway limply back and fourth. And her thoughts, oh her thoughts, they were loud enough to give herself a splitting headache.

_I should talk to her. No, I shouldn't. I don't want to. I- I-_

"Miku," The sound of Luka calling her filled her ears.

_Please, don't call my name!_

"Miku-"

"What!?" Miku exclaimed, her body going ridged as she lifted her head and hit Luka with a frustrated gaze. Luka jumped, looking unsure as if whatever she had to say had been demolished by Miku's single outburst.

"I…I just wanted to say good luck… I'm sure everyone will be telling you that tonight, so I wanted to be the first…" Her blue eyes traveled to the ground, looking duller than usual as they became filled with some sort of sadness. "And…"

"And what?" Miku snapped. She was angry, not so much with Luka, but more at herself. She'd caught herself smiling at Luka's wish for her to do well, and she had begun to willingly drown in the sound of Luka's velvety smooth voice. Luka jumped yet again, her eyes finally meeting Miku's for a split second. But before she could continue the auditorium doors opened once again, as what seemed like the entire choir club began filling inside. Miku masked a sigh of relief as she slid off of the apron; quickly walking passed Luka to greet Kaito who was walking in with the others.

"Hey, look who got here before us!" Kaito chuckled, giving Miku the usual greeting of patting her head like an obedient dog. "And check out those bags!" He teased. " Didn't get much sleep I'm guessing."

"Only an armature would loose sleep over something as simple as a standard concert," Gakupo huffed before Miku could deny the undeniable. She looked over her shoulder angrily, meeting his belittling gaze.

"Alright everyone, to the stage!" Miss Meiko called, breaking up any sort of argument that could have developed. "We've got a lot of practicing to do before the concert!" Miku turned away from both Gakupo and Kaito, her eyes resting on Luka who had already made it to the stage.

"I can't wait for after the concert," Kaito purred in a low voice, resting his hands on her shoulders. Miku remained looking forward, her eyes fixed on Lukas movements despite her angry thoughts in her head demanding that she stop. The two of them had arranged to go on a date after the concert, and it was there Miku, in the heat of trying to rid herself of every scrap of thought that still dwelled on Luka, had promised to give him something more than just her heart and happiness. And it was only then that Luka's words of warning traveled through her mind as she felt Kaito's fingers tracing along her bra strap from outside of her uniform.

_"He's a massive womanizer, there's nothing good about him!"_

"Me neither," Miku said, her words just as forced as her smile. And still her eyes were focused on Luka, now bathed in the complimenting glow of newly turned-on stage lights. " I can hardly wait."

* * *

But, in reality, Miku could wait. She wanted to wait. But time was unkind and seemed to have sped up at thousands of times it's normal speed. Before she knew it the concert had begun. She was no longer nervous about the hundreds of people watching them from the dark auditorium or messing up her own singing. All she could worry about was what would come after all of it was over, after she'd sung the final note and stepped out from under the stage lights to be whisked away by Kaito. After the end of every song she found herself looking to him, and he'd give her an excited smile. He certainly was looking forward more to their date than she was.

A whole new problem soon emerged in the form of the duet that she had placed from her mind to worry about the places Kaito wanted to go and things he intended to do. After the final group piece the lights around them dimmed and she watched as Luka walked off stage. It took her mind a while to catch up before she realized she had to exit as well. Meiko had prepared separate outfits for them especially for the song, somewhat because she loved the piece enough to accessorize it with special costumes, but mostly to make Luka and Miku's singing it all the more permanent and guilt them into singing at their best.

In the quiet of the choir room the two of them began to shed their uniforms, both of them facing opposite each other. Miku could feel her heart racing as she listened to the soft sound of fabric being slipped off Luka's body before she angrily tried to shake the feeling away.

"So, I hear you're going out with Kaito after the concert…" Luka muttered, breaking the silence occupied by the quiet noises of the two girls changing. Restraining a groan Miku turned around only to quickly whirl back the other way after having just barely caught a glimpse of Luka's underwear and her bare back as she pulled her uniform over her head. A strange heat warmed her cheeks, being spawned by something between embarrassment and anger.

"Yeah, so?" she shot back, fastening the strange butterfly-winged headset accessory over her ears, partially so the rest of the sounds of Luka stripping behind her would be muffled to an extent.

"I just wanted to know, that's all…" Luka said, accompanying her words with a strangely acidic sounding "Congratulations."

"He's willing to love me, Luka," Miku argued, still facing away from her. "He's willing to hold my hand and kiss me even when people are watching. He isn't ashamed…" She forced herself to stop, considering the small lump in her throat was threatening to swell and affect her singing.

"Well maybe a relationship isn't based of whether or not you kiss in public, Miku!" Luka's newfound tone surprised her. It was stern, almost furious, every word sounding sharper than the last. But underneath the sting there was a strange melancholy, but before Miku could turn to her and meet the eyes she could feel were burning holes in the back of her head the distant sound of cheering echoed from the auditorium, signaling that Meiko was probably introducing the song. Luka had already made a B-line for the door, refusing to meet Miku's gaze. Glued to where she stood, Miku waited until Luka had long since left the room and turned the corner before walking after her. She longed to speak up, throw something just as angry right back at Luka's back that was now far away from her, but she couldn't bring herself to even speak.

Her voice only came back to her once they were back under the bright light of the stage lights, and there was no way she could have lashed out at Luka then. All there was to do was sing.

But as the song began, Luka underwent an odd transformation. Her gaze became soft and longing and a kind smile spread across her lips. And under the bright glow, it was almost similar to when they had first met, her warm, inviting smile surrounded by light. And unlike during rehearsals, her voice was full and dripping with feeling. It was nearly enough for Miku to miss her cues as she puzzled over it all. And like a moth drawn to the flame, Miku felt herself being pulled to Luka as their eyes became locked. Hands grasping hands, Miku felt Luka move her body as if she were her puppet. All of this touching- their faces drawing closer before quickly drawing back- none of it had been planned beforehand.

And as the song drew to a close she felt Luka's hands gracefully wrap around her waist, fingers lightly grasping as she pulled her close, the final words of the song exiting their lips as they stared deeply into each other's eyes. What was happening, what was this feeling? It had been so long since Miku had felt such a rush, the feelings seemed alien to her now. And the final note she held was muffled as Luka leaned in and planted a kiss against Miku's lips. At first, her eyes were as wide as everyone elses, the contact of Luka's lips shocking her before flooding her with an overwhelming soothing sensation. Leaning forward as well she kissed back, hungrily. This was the feeling she had been trying to get back, the feeling that could only be cheaply replicated with kisses and caresses from Kaito. And they were from the person she wanted to forget- The person she couldn't hope to forget.

Their soft gasps for air filled the dead quiet auditorium as their lips parted. Both the audience and the choir club looked at the pair in surprise, but for once, with all those eyes digging into them, Luka didn't seem to flinch. She just stared back at Miku intensely for what seemed like a long, quiet eternity. However, Miku felt as Luka pulled her hands away from her, not in a fearful way like before, when she'd snatch her hands away. In fact, the touch seemed to linger as she slowly relinquished Miku's body back to her before turning and hastily running off the stage, leaving Miku to stare back at everyone like a dear caught in the headlights.

_Luka…_

"Luka!" She shouted, running after her, the sound of a confused uproar slowly growing in the audience at her back as she exited the auditorium. After the kiss, she'd been left breathless, so now running after Luka quickly winded her, but she continued on. She followed the echo of Luka's frantic footsteps until the two of them reached the school courtyard illuminated by the orange glow of the setting sun. In her attempt to escape into the streets, however, Luka suddenly lost her footing and fell onto the unforgiving earth with a pained cry.

"Luka!" Miku gasped, picking up her speed to catch up to her fallen companion. By the time she reached her side, she was already grasping at a bleeding wound on her leg with scratched up hands. All they could do was stare back at one another, heavily breathing. Luka's deep blue eyes were brimmed with tears and Miku could feel her own just waiting to escape as well.

"Here," she gasped, pulling out a handkerchief she'd been keeping close to her heart. A handkerchief embroidered fancily with a pink "L".

"Miku, I-"

"I was planning on giving it back to you after tonight. It looks like you'll need it more than me anyway." Miku told her, kneeling down and gently pushing Luka's hands away from her injury so she could press the white cloth against the blood that was seeping from it. Another long moment of silence followed before Luka finally spoke up.

"I'm not afraid anymore!" She said, looking Miku dead in the eye. "If giving you as many kisses and hugs as you want while everyone watches means you'll forgive me, I'll give you what you want a hundred times over! I love you, Miku, and no insecurity of mine is going to get in the way of that anymore!"

"…Luka…"

"So, please, I beg you…" Luka's courageous voice became slightly dampened as she became more and more choked up, tears beginning to flow even more freely. "Love me again!" Miku didn't have the voice to respond. Every last word she could have said was choked off by the hot lump that had built in her throat. Instead she lunged forward, wrapping Luka in a warm hug. And along with the hug she planted a chaste kiss against her trembling lips.

"I'm sorry!" She muttered, now joining Luka in crying. "I'm sorry! I acted like such a jerk! I…I'm so sorry!"

"It doesn't matter, you had every right to be mad," Luka whispered softly, pulling Miku close enough that she could feel the contours of her body pressing against her. "All that matters now is that you're here in my arms. And this time, I'm not going to let you go again."


	8. Chapter 8: Expectations

Miku stood outside the front door of her house anxiously, nervous feelings growing by the second as she rested her hand on the knob. She'd hoped Luka would have accompanied her, if she had been beside her these feelings wouldn't have even surfaced, but soon after the concert, Luka had disappeared before the after party even began, most likely to do what she was debating over doing: facing her parents. She balled her free hand into a fist, fingers caressing the space between finger and knuckle where the ring Luka had given her used to be.

She didn't know how her mother would react; She'd obviously seen what had happened during the concert, and the fact she had left just as quick as Luka had sent her mind into a violent storm of worried thoughts that only grew the closer she got to her house. Now she was there and the chaos inside her mind had grown into an uproar of worries she couldn't seem to shake. She didn't care what others thought, if word broke out all over school the very next day about her and Luka's kiss onstage she'd hardly bat an eyelash. But her mother was different. She wasn't just another gossiping school girl or wide-eyed onlooker. She was someone who she'd shared her life so far with, someone who knew more things about her than even Luka. And now she knew one more thing, and Miku didn't know what to expect when she opened the door.

"It'll be okay," She told herself for the thousandth time, taking a long intake of breath before finally finding the courage to turn the handle of the door and open it slowly, inch by inch. The light from the kitchen illuminated the otherwise dark hallway and that was where Miku assumed her mother was lying in wait for her. She couldn't even imagine what words she'd be met with or what expression her mom would be wearing, all she could do was force herself to walk forward, her heart racing faster and faster with each step.

"I…I'm home," She announced sheepishly, sluggishly making the final step into the light of the kitchen. Her mother was sitting at the table, seeming almost happy to see her daughter had arrived. She was calmly sipping tea, another cup and empty chair waiting for Miku beside her. But despite her composure, she was dead silent, watching Miku closely as she slowly and cautiously made her way to the table. The silence was almost painful, and Miku felt immensely compelled to fill it with anything.

"Mom, I-"

"Sit down, Miku," Her mom said softly, going back to being silent as Miku obeyed and sat down, her eyes focused on her teacup filled to the brim with light-brown colored tea. What was there to say? Miku couldn't think of a single thing, now that she was beside her. She looked to her mom, who had gone back to taking a long sip of her tea before setting it back down and turning to look at her daughter.

"That girl, she's Megurine Luka isn't she?" She asked. "The girl from our old neighborhood when you were still a little girl?" at first Miku felt as if her brain had frozen, all thought processes stopping completely. She could hardly find the power to nod as her mom smiled, gazing at her cup with nostalgia filling her eyes.

"She was a kind girl, wasn't she?" Miku continued to nod, still tongue tied and watching her mom closely, half expecting the conversation to go sour. "Before the divorce, she'd always be there to arrange last minute play dates so you wouldn't have to be in the house when me and your father fought. She always looked after your happiness, that girl…"

"Mom…" Miku said softly, averting her eyes now back to her still-full teacup. "Are you… mad at me?"

"Mad at you? Why would I be mad at you, Miku?"

"Well…" Miku felt her face heat up as she gripped her cup tightly. "About… well what happened at the concert." There was silence between them for a moment before her mom, much to her surprise, snorted.

"Why would I be mad at you for that?" She asked her with a chuckle. Miku snapped her head up, looking back at her mom in surprise. "Miku, I don't care who you like or who you kiss. As long as that's what makes you happy, I won't get mad at you." She paused, laughing lightly and shaking her head. "You two were so close when you were kids, I guess it's no surprise that-" Before she could finish, Miku had sprung from her chair to wrap her arms around her mom tightly, almost making her spill her tea.

"Thank you!" Miku cried, unable to hold back tears. She'd been at the ready to shed them since she walked through the door, but she never imagined they would be released due to happiness. "Thank you!" She smiled, feeling her mom return her embrace.

"I'm glad you've found someone you love, Miku."

Before they could continue the sound of the doorbell cut in, forcing them to part. Sniffling, Miku wiped away her tears as her mom got up to get the door. That was strange, who would be visiting at this hour?

"Ah!" Her mom exclaimed as she opened the door. "Luka! What brings you here?!" Before her mom even finished, Miku had already run around the corner and to the door to meet her. However, something certainly wasn't right. Luka was smiling, but it was wavering by the second, her lips straining to keep the convincing smile as they quivered. Her eyes were bloodshot and dull, probably from crying, and the left side of her face was red and swollen.

"I'm sorry to be bothering you so late…" Luka said, her voice cracking as she spoke. As soon as she began to speak her composure quickly began to falter. Her painfully red eyed began to fill with tears and her polite smile was quickly whisked away as her shoulders began to shake. "But I didn't know where else… to go…" The instant her tears overflowed and streaked her already tear-stained cheeks, Miku was drawn to her side and wrapped her in a comforting embrace that was instantly returned from the older girl who rested her head wearily on her shoulder.

"Come inside, you two," Miku's mom said gently. "We can discuss this over tea."

Once Miku had led a disheveled Luka inside and sat her down at the table, she seemed totally emotionless and empty aside from the tears that still steadily flowed down her face. She seemed to be in some sort of zombie-like trance as she stared blankly at the tea Miku had set in front of her.

"I'll leave you two alone," Miku's mom whispered, leaving the two of them alone in the kitchen as her and Miku exchanged a nod. Once she was gone the kitchen was overflowing with silence as Miku sat beside her crying lover, keeping her hand rested on top of Luka's. She didn't know where to begin or what to ask, all she could think to do was let her know she was there.

"He hates me." Luka finally spoke, her voice no louder than a hoarse whisper.

"What?"

"My dad…" She sobbed, removing her hands from underneath Miku's to hide her face. "He told me I was shaming our family! He didn't even bother to try and listen! All he did was yell and hit me!" Her whole entire body had begun to quiver, her eyes wide and fearful as she relived the events in her memory. "And then he told me… he told me to leave and that as long as I was going to be an embarrassment to him and our family… I wasn't a daughter to him!" Her final words were followed by loud sobs as she hung her head and cried. Miku stared at her, slack jawed and shocked that her father had gone to such extremes.

"Luka…"

"I don't have a family anymore, Miku!" Luka continued, reaching out to pull Miku close to her. Her hands clutched desperately at Miku's shirt as she held her close, her sobs now partially muffled as she buried her face against Miku's chest. Returning the embrace, Miku could feel Luka's warm tears soak her clothes. "What am I going to do?!"

"I'm going to help you," Miku told her bravely. Luka pushed far enough away from Miku that she could look up at her, confused, with tear-filled eyes.

"What?"

"I can't stand to see you like this, Luka," she said, reaching up to wipe away a stray tear from Luka's face and allowing her hand to rest there. She could feel the strong warmth radiating from Luka's cheek. "Seeing you this sad hurts me, too. I'll do anything to see you smile again, even if it means going and facing your father."

"No, you can't!" Luka gasped. "He's extremely set in his ways, there's no way he'd listen!"

"We'll see about that," Miku told her with a smile. "I don't care if he'll refuse to listen. I want to try because I know it will make you happy." She leaned forward, their lips lightly brushing against each other lightly before Miku pulled back a short distance to add, "And as long as he refuses to listen, you're welcome to stay here as long as you want."

"Miku…" Luka sniffled, a fresh batch of tears brimming in her eyes, ready to flow. "For now… could you just help me forget? I want to forget about what happened tonight, at least for now."

"Yes, my lady," Miku said softly with a smile, grasping Luka's shoulders lightly as she brought her into a kiss that deepened quickly. Luka kissed back hungrily, her last remaining sobs and hiccups vibrating against Miku's lips. Soon, those sad, pitiful sounds became quiet, passionate moans as Luka's body slowly ceased its' shaking.

'I'll help you forget, Luka,' Miku thought to herself in the back of her mind as the kiss continued feverishly. 'I'll kiss you and caress you until I can see that smile of yours again.'

* * *

Feeling something lightly jostle her in her sleep, Miku opened her eyes, meeting a dark room and no Luka –who had fallen asleep in her arms- by her side. In a fright, she shot up, expecting the worse, only to find the older girl had simply moved from the bed to the windowsill, the cool night breeze from the open window running through her hair.

"Luka, you okay?" She asked tiredly, untangling herself from the sheets to crawl over and join her.

"I'm fine… well as fine as I can be, anyway," Luka told her with an exhausted looking smile as she adjusted herself so the younger girl could sit herself on the windowsill as well, adjacent from her. "I just couldn't sleep, that's all."

"Worried about tomorrow?" Miku asked her, their legs brushing against each other as she made herself comfortable. Luka responded silently, an unsure look in her eyes as she nodded. In return Miku gave her a reassuring smile, reaching out to rest her hands on Luka's drawn up knees as she pulled herself closer to her. "I promise, everything will be alright."

"How can you be so sure?" Luka asked her, her tired eyes now filled with worry. "You don't know my father. All my life he's expected only the best of me. Everything I've done and everything I do is seen in a critical light by him. How can you be so sure he'll be fine with us being together?"

"I really can't say for sure about him accepting us…" Miku told her. "But I'm sure everything will be alright regardless. No matter what happens I won't leave your side, and I'll be sure to make everything alright again." She smiled sweetly, her hands migrating from Luka's knees downward, fingertips lightly brushing along her thighs and stopping at the shorts she had lent her. "I'll turn your tears into laughter- your frowns into smiles. Whatever happens tomorrow, just know that I'll be there for you."

"Always?" Luka asked, placing her hands on Miku's, guiding them away from her legs to her chest as she gently pulled Miku closer.

"Of course, silly," Miku laughed, relinquishing one of her hands to brush away hair that had fallen in Luka's face. "Your smile is the best thing about you, I'd hate to lose something so precious."

"Miku…" Luka felt her lips tremble a second before Miku's were pressed against them. She reached out as they kissed, pulling Miku close enough that they could feel the contours of the other's body through their clothes. The contact filled her with warmth as she allowed her hands to wander, her soft grip coming to rest on Miku's hips. She didn't want the kiss to end. All she could think of was how badly she wanted to remain in the warmth of Miku's embrace. She would have traded everything in the world simply to remain in Miku's arms for an eternity.

* * *

"Is this the place?" Luka's head shot up, Miku's voice dragging her out of the nervous daze she'd driven herself into again. Before them was the gate that surrounded her house, the place she had dreaded all night and morning going back to. Home used to be a haven to her, but now, staring down its gates, it seemed more like a hell.

"Yes." She squeaked, unaware she was involuntarily taking small steps backward until Miku grasped her hand tightly, pulling her back to reality once more. She looked back at her with concern and Luka wanted nothing more than to take advantage of that look and convince the already worried Miku that they could return another day. Falling asleep buried in sheets that smelled like Miku, waking up to her sleeping face and going about their morning routine like they'd lived together for years seemed much more appealing to do again and again than to dare to even enter her own house.

"I know you don't want to do this, Luka," Miku told her. "But eventually you'll have to face this sooner or later and I'd rather it be sooner, because..." She frowned, her brows furrowing slightly. "This dispute between you and your father… it's taken away the light in your eyes."

"What?"

"I've seen that your smile can be driven out by kisses, by skin touching skin… But all the while your eyes remained sad all night, like you were holding back tears the entire time. Last night your eyes hardly held a candle to the stars they used to outshine, and it worried me. I know you don't want to do this, but I know you truly won't be happy unless the one person who's opinion you hold the highest accepts who you truly are."

"Am I really that easy to read?" Luka asked, giving Miku a ghost of a smile as she finally took her first steps towards the gates. Miku didn't answer her, just gave her hand a loving squeeze that gave her the courage enough the ring the buzzer placed on the side of the gate.

"Hello?" A voice crackled through the small speaker.

"Walter, it's me."

"Miss Luka! You're back?" The voice on the other end seemed relieved at first before dropping into a worried hush. "Maybe you should return later. Your father, he-"

"Open the gates, Walter." Luka commanded sternly, but even though her voice seemed that way, Miku could feel her hand just barely starting to shake. "I've come back to speak to him." Silence answered her at first before a loud mechanical whir filled the air as the gates began to slowly part before them.

"Don't let go."

"What?" Miku looked over to Luka, who was facing the house with a tense look on her face.

"Don't let go of my hand," She repeated. "Not until all of this is over."

"Don't worry, I won't let you go." Miku assured her with a smile as the two of them walked onto the estate. They were silent all the way to the front entrance that was opened for them once they arrived by a grey-haired butler who looked at the two of them in a worried manner.

"Miss Luka," He practically whispered, looking over his shoulder before turning to face the two girls again. "Do you really think it wise to return so soon after what happened last night between you and your father? And on top of that, I assume this girl you brought along is the one you confessed to having feelings for?" He didn't say it aloud, but it was obvious by his eyes and body language as he addressed Miku that he disapproved of Luka's decision as much as her father had.

"This is something I have to do, Walter," Luka told him, her grip on Miku's hand tightening. "Now, where is my father?" Walter sighed, shaking his head but stepping aside to allow the two girls to enter into the spacious entryway.

"He's in his study, miss." He said in a disappointed tone, watching the two of them silently as they passed by.

"Thank you, Walter," Luka said, trying and failing to sound calm. She led Miku down a series of long corridors; all the while her quivering grew more and more as they drew closer to the study. Before they turned the final corner, Luka stopped dead in her tracks, nervously biting her lip.

"Luka, are you alright?" Miku asked her, unaware that in her worry she had begun to loosen her grip on Luka's hand.

"Don't let go!" Luka gasped, the frightened look in her eyes subsiding a small amount as Miku quickly obeyed with a, "Sorry".

"Just…give me a moment." Luka told her, drawing in a long, soothing breath. It looked like she was close to tears, with her body tense and looking like she was debating whether or not to turn and run the other way. But, instead, she gave Miku's hand a tight squeeze and led the way around the final corner, coming face to face with a pair of glass doors that led into a study crammed with books. And there, sitting at his desk and seeming much too interested in his work to notice the two girls had come in was Luka's father. Even behind a desk, sitting down, he looked intimidating, with broad shoulders and an angular face. He lifted one hand from his work to calmly smooth out his jet-black hair.

"Fa-"

"What are you doing back here, Luka?" He asked gruffly, not even bothering to look up from his work.

"Last time I checked, I lived here." The words themselves were strong, but Luka's voice lacked the bite the words would have been accompanied by.

"Not if you're going to do such disgraceful things in public like last night," He snapped, finally throwing a sharp gaze her and Miku's way. "You even have the nerve to bring that girl here with you."

"But father, I-"

"Do you realize how embarrassing it was for me last night after your little stunt at the concert?" He asked angrily. "Our family is in the public eye- more than you realize it seems- and if you go around kissing girls so the whole world can see, it will drag our name through dirt." All the while, Luka tried to get a word in, but each time she was shot down, and her composure and countenance grew weaker and weaker each time. "If you refuse to uphold the family name, I don't see any reason why you should-"

"Sir." Miku cut in, her voice stern. Luka gasped, looking over to Miku in surprise. Her father, however, looked back at Miku with annoyance, like she was some sort of bug that dared scuttle into his sights. "All her young life, Luka's done nothing but try and please you, I'm sure you realize that- I certainly do. If you want someone to blame for last night, don't blame her. If anything, she was against doing something like that from the start. If anything, it's my fault."

"Miku!" Luka gasped.

"If it weren't for me, your daughter wouldn't have done what she did last night," Miku ignored Luka's pleads for her to stop, continuing to face down her father. "She wanted to keep our relationship a secret, but I guess I didn't realize she wanted to because you'd find out eventually."

"Miku, please-"

"So, please, don't be mad at Luka! I'm the one who deserves punishment, not her!" Silence quickly filled the room once Miku finished. Luka's father had turned his gaze back down to his paper work, as if the conversation had grown uninteresting, which only caused Miku to grow more frustrated.

"I could care less whose fault it was," He told Miku gruffly. "What matters is the result."

"So you'd just give up your daughter because she did one thing wrong!?"

"Miku, stop!" Luka urged, squeezing Miku's hand as tight as she could to get her attention. But what really got it was when she felt her let go, her fingers sliding out from between hers, taking their warmth with them as she approached her father's desk. She set her hands on the wooden surface, leaning forward and nearly looming over her father.

"I know you're not happy with me, you made that clear last night," She told him, her voice quivering but much more brave sounding than before. "But I can't live solely to make you happy forever. Just once, I'd like to be happy because I'm happy, not because you find what I'm doing to be satisfactory." Much to Miku's surprise, he actually bothered to turn his eyes upward to meet his daughter's, and much to Luka's surprise as well, since she took a long pause to stare wide-eyed back at him. "I love you, but not enough that I'll throw away the one thing –the one person that truly makes me happy."

"You certainly have an awful taste in what you finally think really makes you happy," He said bitterly.

"Please don't push me away because I'm not living to your standards, father!" Luka said sternly. "Don't push me away like you pushed away mother!" Finally, an emotion other than contempt filled her father's eyes: they grew wide in surprise, his mouth just slightly hanging open.

"How dare you bring that up!" He gasped.

"It's true!" She rebutted, looking close to tears. "You know it's true! She never lived up to your expectations and I got to watch as you slowly drove her away because of it until she gave up and left you –left us! After that, I promised myself I would never do anything you would consider below your expectations but…" She hung her head, her hands she'd rested on the table balling up into fists as small tears falling from her eyes splashed against them. "Now I understand how painful it must have been for her. Now I understand why she's gone!"

Startled look now morphing into rage, Luka's father quickly stood from his chair, his arm tense and hand ready to smack the mouth that said those words.

"Don't!" Miku gasped, beginning to rush to Luka's aid.

"Miku, stop!" Luka commanded, staring down her father. "I deserve it this time. But I don't deserve to be cast aside because I decided to act toward my own desires; because I put my own wants before my father's. I don't deserve to be hated because I finally found out what it feels like to truly be loved!"

"What are you talking about?" Her father asked angrily. "I've always loved you!"

"Only because I kept my toe in line for you!"

"I only wanted what was best for you, Luka!"

"No, you wanted what was best for the family!" Luka's voice was now a hoarse shriek, the lump growing in her throat causing her voice to waver. "If you're so willing to cast me aside because I did something wrong, then you really don't love me!" She sobbed heavily, burying her face in her hands for a brief moment. Her father's body loosened, the hand he had prepared to strike her with falling at his side.

"But Miku… Miku loves me!" She sobbed. "I know this because she doesn't care about my perfect grades or the club I'm in or she schools I've gotten into, the colleges I'm trying to get into! She doesn't care about how well I represent the name Megurine. She loves my eyes, father! She loves my smile, she loves my voice, and she wants nothing more than my happiness! When you cast me out, she welcomed me with open arms! She held me through the night while you embraced your paperwork!"

"Luka-"

"I don't even remember the last time you hugged me." Luka cried softly. Instinctively, Miku walked to her side, gingerly giving Luka her hand to take, which was accepted.

"If being your daughter means I have to give this up then…" Luka sniffled, wiping her tears away, replacing them with a hard stare. "Then I don't want this... this name your so proud of- so willing to give up family for! I'd rather be free of it, just like mom got to be!"

"Is that… really how you feel?" Her father asked.

"It is!" Luka told him. "That is how I feel!" The air grew silent. Miku felt Luka tighten her grip on her hand slightly, but she was no longer shaking like before.

"I won't say I'm happy with this relationship that you've gotten yourself into with this girl, Luka," her father finally spoke up. "And what you did at last night's concert was a bad choice, in my opinion… but it seems that I may have been… in error myself, for you to have these feelings…" It was his turn for his voice to waver, as if he were about to cry as well, but he quickly regained composure.

"What?" Luka gasped. Hearing her father say that he, himself, was wrong was a rarity, and it took actual effort on her part to bring herself to believe she was hearing what she was hearing.

"Maybe I should have thought about how you felt before I turned you away last night. I never would have suspected you've felt this way for so long." He continued. "But if it's any consolation, despite what I may have said in my anger last night, I'm happy you bare the Megurine name- no… I'm happy to have you as my daughter." Suddenly, he reached out, wrapping Luka in a warm embrace who, at first, seemed absolutely shocked by the gesture. But after a few seconds passed she brought herself to smile as she let go of Miku's hand to reach up and return his embrace. Neither of them spoke, but it was obvious that he was silently saying "sorry" and that Luka was wordlessly crying "thank you".

* * *

"You sure you'll be okay staying here tonight?" Miku asked. Luka had led her back out to the front gate after her and her father's long embrace. "I'm always happy to have you over."

"Thanks, but I think me and my father still have a few more things to patch up." Luka smiled. "But thanks for the offer, I may take it another day."

"Please do," Miku chuckled.

"And thank you… for being here today." Luka added. "Without you, I wouldn't have had the courage to finally speak up to my father. I owe you one."

"Oh?" Miku smirked, to which Luka giggled, pressing her fingers against her lips as she laughed. It warmed Miku's heart to hear it and to see that Luka was genuinely happy again and that the light that out-shown billions of stars had returned to her eyes.

"I'll give you your reward later on," She told her. "For now, you'll just have to deal with this." And with that she leaned in, placing her hands on Miku's shoulders as she gave her a soft kiss on the lips. Miku kissed her back, wrapping her arms around her waist. It was a short kiss, but it was enough to satisfy Miku –for the moment anyway. The fact those lips that had been pressed against hers bore a smile was enough for her.

"I'll look forward to it!" She grinned, turning on her heel and taking her first steps away from the estate. But she looked over her shoulder, keeping her eyes on Luka as she waved goodbye.

"Me too!" Luka grinned back, giving her own polite wave as she saw Miku off. "See you tomorrow!"

"Usual spot!?" Miku called, now a short distance away.

"Yes!" Luka said, adding, "and don't be late this time!"

"No promises!" Miku shouted, finally turning around to face forward, her hand still raised and waving until she heard the mechanical sound of the gate slowly closing.

"Good luck, Luka," She said silently before picking up her pace, hurrying back home.


	9. Chapter 9: Intentions

She had done it!

Prideful grin on her face, Miku couldn't help but give a silent laugh of victory as she turned her eyes to the clear, blue sky. She'd expected Luka to be waiting for her at the old, usual meeting place, making a show of looking at her watch and jokingly tapping her foot as Miku rounded the final corner. But much to her surprise, Luka had yet to arrive, leaving Miku to bask in the glory of finally beating her there.

"Maybe she's just nervous," she thought allowed. After all, it was the first day back to school after the incident during the concert. Chances are the news had spread like wild fire and they'd be met with whispers and questioning looks upon arrival. It wasn't like Luka to not be punctual, but it was understandable that she'd take as much time as she needed to prolong the peace by minutes more.

It didn't mean Miku wouldn't rub her arriving after her in her face, though.

Footsteps finally broke through the morning silence as Miku excitedly spun around, words about Luka's tardiness on the tip of her tongue, her lips drawn up in a grin. But instead of Luka, behind her stood Kaito looking back at her with a quizzical look in his eyes. She froze, her smile quickly fading from her lips as the two of them stared each other down. Miku could feel an uneasy feeling growing in her stomach that was only increased by the fact that Kaito was looking at her, not angrily, but like she'd just punched him in the gut.

"G…Good-" Miku stammered, before another voice quickly ripped her away from the uncomfortable encounter.

"Miku! Sorry I'm late!" Luka cried, running across the street to meet her. Miku meekly waved, trying to hide the heavy relief in her smile.

"Oh! Kaito!" Luka gasped as she slowly came to a halt, trying to catch her breath. "Good mo-" But, as if neither her or Miku were there, Kaito simply ignored her greeting and passed the two of them in a silence that sent a shiver up Miku's spine. His sudden departure left the two of them in silence for a short moment as they watched him leave with his eyes cast to the ground.

"What…happened?" Luka asked, turning to Miku who quickly shook off her worried feeling and gave the older girl a light smile.

"Nothing, don't worry," She told her, getting back her grin. "But I see you certainly took your sweet time getting here. You sure know how to make a girl wait."

"Hey, don't get too used to it. I'll be back to beating you here real soon," Luka chuckled as the two of them began to walk down the street. "I just decided to be nice today, that's all."

The two of them talked as they normally would, reaching out and taking the other's hand without even realizing it until the school gates were in site. Luka stopped momentarily, their hands becoming unclasped as Miku continued to walk a few steps more. She looked back at her companion in concern.

"Luka?"

"I'm fine just… hold on a bit…" She stammered, eyes focused forward intensely.

"You don't have to worry, I'll be right here," Miku told her with a smile, offering her hand for Luka to take. "I always will be." Luka's worried look melted into a thankful smile as she reached out, taking the other girl's hand again.

"Thank you," She said softly as the two girls continued their trek onto the school grounds.

Almost immediately it was evident that the news about their kiss during the concert had spread out of control. Their presence in the courtyard and in the hallways seemed to spark up quiet conversations amongst whomever they passed. And each time, Luka's grip on Miku's hand grew tighter. Miku looked to her in concern, but the look on her face loudly shouted composure. Whatever was going on in her head, she was hiding it.

Their time together only lasted to the stairs, where they would be forced to part. Almost instantly Luka's composure and confidence wavered.

"Will you be alright?" Miku asked, giving Luka's hand a gentle squeeze.

"I…I'll be fine." Luka nodded, taking her first step upwards before turning back to her. "If you can get through this, then I can find the strength to, as well." Her voice quickly took on a tone of bravery and it filled Miku with a newfound feeling of warmth as she smiled back at her companion, letting her hand slip from hers. Something inside her knew Luka would be able to face what was lying in store for her. If she had the strength to stand up to her father, she certainly had it in her to stand up to her classmates. The two of them shared one final glance before separating and Miku found herself facing the sea of whispers and glances alone.

"Hey!" Miku felt herself jump. Hearing the first voice that wasn't either Luka's or a harsh whisper surprised her. She turned around to find the voice had belonged to Akita Neru who, even as a first year, had made a name for herself as being a ruthless bully. Miku certainly hadn't been apart of the rings of people who would spread any rumors Neru started without any mercy, but from what she heard, they had easily wiped out whoever they were directed at. The fact she was actually bothering to talk to her, sly smile and all, wasn't a very good sign.

"W-What?" Miku asked, trying to sound as if Neru's presence wasn't affecting her at all. Neru's smirk grew wider, her ears easily being able to pick up on the tone change.

"So, is it true then?" She questioned, all the while her cell phone in hand. It was her most prominent accessory as well as her most dangerous weapon. Even now, in mid conversation with Miku, she was busily texting away.

"What's true?"

"That you're seeing that well-to-do princess, Luka." Neru stated. "It almost makes me sad I didn't get to see it, I heard you two had quite the hot little lip exchange during the choir concert a few nights ago." Miku withheld a gulp. Anything she said from here on out would effect how Neru would torment her. There was no question about whether or not she would, she could see it in the girl's menacing yellow eyes that she had become the girl's prey.

"So what if we did?" Miku bit back. "There's no reason we should be ashamed about it."

"Who said you should be ashamed?" Neru snickered. "I think it's adorable you two are so open about your love." Coming from anyone else, Miku would have relaxed, but the way Neru said the words made her feel even more threatened and aching to defend herself more and more against the yellow-haired demon.

"O...Okay." She nodded, trying to silently piece together what Neru was trying to accomplish.

"I just hope nothing…happens." Neru chuckled blackly. "It would be a shame." Miku went rigid as a shiver ran up her spine. Neru gave Miku a predatorial look as she smiled mischievously.

"Anyhow, I just wanted to make sure I'd heard the rumors right." She continued. "I'd hate to have passed around something that wasn't even true." Without even a goodbye, she turned her back to Miku, slinking down the hallway. She may have ended the conversation there, but Miku could feel that this certainly wasn't the last she'd see of her. She wanted to deny it, but she knew: Her and Luka were Neru's new targets.

* * *

The whole close encounter with Neru put Miku on edge all day. She was hypersensitive to the looks and the whispers now, half expecting them to be spreading some new rumor she had concocted. She certainly hoped Luka hadn't caught wind of Neru's plans, she didn't want her newfound courage to be demolished before it even began. No one else really approached her during the day, like she was secretly expecting. Save for Neru, passed the whispers and quick looks in her direction, no one seemed to be making it a very big deal… for now anyway.

"Miku! Miku!" During lunch, a voice calling her name rang through the classroom. Everyone looked to find Gumi standing in the classroom doorway, waving happily with a bag stuffed with bread from the school co-op in her hand. For someone who had been at the performance to see her and Luka's exchange, she certainly seemed very happy to see her. Then again, she'd never bothered to come down and meet her for lunch before, something told her the concert had something to do with it.

"Ah, Gumi…" Miku meekly waved back, not expecting Gumi to actually run inside the classroom and grasp her by her arm. "Hey- what!?"

"Come on, eat lunch with me!" she told her cheerily, not even giving Miku much of a choice as she hauled her out of her seat.

"Um, okay!" Miku nodded, allowing Gumi lead her all over the school, which was dizzying. She moved about at a frightening speed, plowing through crowds of people and taking every turn sharply with Miku still in tow.

"Where are we going?" Miku asked as Gumi dragged her up the stairwell, passed the third floor.

"You'll see, just come on!" Gumi told her, her voice excited and warm as it usually was. Their journey eventually led them to a door at the top of the stairs, far away from the whispers and prying eyes. Before Miku could ask what was there, Gumi pushed open the doors, bright light and warm wind whipping passed them as she did. The door led to the school roof, an area of the school that was clearly marked of limits.

"Should we even be here?" Miku asked, rubbing at her arm that Gumi had only just then let go of.

"Don't worry, no one ever really comes up here to check to see if people are even here. I should know, I usually eat my lunch up here with Luka. We should be fine." Gumi assured her. "Plus, this is the only place where we'll be guarantied privacy."

"Privacy?"

"I need to talk to you, Miku," Gumi's voice took on a surprisingly serious tone. "...About you and Luka."

"O-Oh."

"Hey, don't get like that, you aren't in trouble." Gumi smiled, stopping to sit against the fence that surrounded the roof. "I just need to speak to you about all this. Luka… She's a special person to me."

"Special person?" Miku questioned, slowly taking a seat next to Gumi. "You two are pretty close friends, right?"

"Something like that." Gumi sighed. "Back when we were first years… Me and Luka were in the same kind of relationship you and her are in now." Miku looked at Gumi in shock, uncertain about what to say. She kept her mouth shut for the moment, allowing Gumi to continue speaking. "I loved her more than I had loved anyone else, and I'm sure you can agree with me when I say it's hard not to feel that way about her. She's kind, she's beautiful- it takes thinking pretty long and hard to pick out any imperfections about her." Miku found herself nodding, agreeing with Gumi silently. "But during our second year we started to grow apart. I still tried to make the relationship work, but it seemed that Luka was pulling away from me. Then, one day, just like this, I confronted her, taking her up to this exact same spot to ask her what was wrong."

"What did she say?" Miku asked, immensely intrigued.

"She told me she'd made a mistake, and her heart belonged to someone else." Gumi's voice took on a sad tone. "She let me down gently though, and I still really care for her, I just guess we weren't meant to be. But, you know, seeing her smile is definitely enough for me. Knowing that Luka is happy makes me happy, which is why I've brought you here. I want to know for certain you'll try just as hard to keep her smiling."

"I will!" Miku exclaimed. "The last thing I want is Luka to be miserable. I've already seen her at her worse once, I don't want to see it happen again."

"Good," Gumi chuckled. "Because if you hurt her, I'll have to punish you."

"Heh, I don't want that." Miku laughed. "By the way, who was the person she said she was saving her heart for?"

"She didn't mention any names," Gumi explained. "But I clearly remember she referred to them as a little butterfly she used to know. One flying around somewhere without wings." She turned to Miku, looking her up and down. "Has she given them back to you, by the way?" Miku giggled.

"No, she hasn't." She smiled. "But I guess I like it that way."

* * *

"I still can't believe she actually brought you to the roof!" Miku laughed along with Luka, who had called her up later that night. "You must have thought she was going to beat you up or something!"

"I considered that." Miku chuckled. "Next time warn me before your friends come and kidnap me."

"Sorry, I just didn't expect her to." Luka sighed. "Sometimes I feel she looks after me a little too much."

"Well, I can't say I blame her, I would probably have done the same thing if-"

"Miku! Someone's at the door for you!" Her mother called from downstairs.

"What? That's odd."

"What?"

"Nothing, someone's at the door for me." Miku explained, sliding off her bed.

"That is odd." Luka agreed. "Who'd stop by this late at night?"

"I don't know, I guess I'll have to find out." Miku told her, sounding disappointed. She had wanted their phone conversation to last longer- until she drifted off to sleep if she had the ability. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yep." Even over the phone, Miku could tell Luka was smiling. "Bye!"

"Bye." Miku hung up, taking one last look in her mirror before she headed downstairs. Whoever was at the door would have to deal with her pajamas. Walking down the stairs she looked to the door quizzically to find Kaito, of all people, standing in the open doorway.

"Kaito?!" Miku gasped. "W-What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk." He told her, seriousness in his tone of voice and on his face. Miku looked at him nervously, unsure of what to do. She wanted to dodge talking to him alone all together, maybe even put it off till another time and make excuses about how late it was. But beyond Kaito's stone-faced look, something in his eyes looked hurt. She'd more or less used him, the least she owed him was an explanation.

"M-Mom!" Miku called, slipping on her shoes. "I'll be right back!"

"Don't go out too far for too long!" Her mother called back. "It's late!"

"I know!" Miku slid passed Kaito, shutting the door behind her. An awkward silence fell between them as Miku had to force herself to turn around to face him.

"Kaito, I-"

"I just want to know a few things." Kaito interrupted her, a frown on his face.

"I…I figured you would." Miku stammered, averting her eyes. The look he was giving her was making her feel worse- guilty even. "I had actually been seeing Luka before we became close. We had a fight, and I needed someone to turn to… someone to keep my mind off of how sad I was about how she wasn't there and how mad I was that she was shamed into keeping our relationship a secret. And then you came and I… I guess I just latched onto you because you were the first person who came and comforted me…"

"So it meant nothing, then?" Kaito asked, his words digging into her as well as his eyes.

"No! It did, it really did!" Miku exclaimed. "Without you there, I would have become much more of a mess! If you hadn't come and found me, I probably would have done something stupid… You made me smile, Kaito, when I was at my worst. That's definitely not 'nothing'!"

"I wanted to do much more than make you smile, though!" Kaito declared, a pained look in his eyes. "I wanted to… I…"

"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have used you like that. I guess I didn't expect Luka to…" Miku sighed. What in the world could she say to make things better? It was obvious Kaito had wanted something much more than her smiles and now she couldn't give him what he wanted. The two of them fell silent, neither of them looking at one another.

"You'll always be a special person to me, Kaito," Miku finally spoke up. "I'll never forget how kind you were to me and all the things you did for me. The kindness you shared with me isn't something I will soon forget… I just wish there was something I could do to give that kindness back one last time."

"Kiss me." Miku's head shot up, looking at Kaito in surprise. "Kiss me like you did back then, like I was the most important person to you, one last time." Miku was hesitant at first, and she had to force herself to take the first steps towards him. But then again, she was sure she'd hurt him in ways she couldn't imagine. There was no doubt in her mind he felt the same way she felt when her and Luka parted ways. If anything at all, she owed him one last show of affection.

Reaching out, she grasped his shoulders and stood on her tiptoes so that their faces were closer together. She felt his arms wrap around her lovingly as he pulled her closer to him seconds before their lips met. The kiss seemed to last for hours as it grew deeper and deeper with each passing second. Just like Kaito had asked, Miku kissed him back passionately as if the two of them were still together, as if he were the reason she was still smiling. For those few seconds, he was the one she was in love with.

However, the moment their lips parted, the spell was broken. He wasn't the one, not any more. But as she pulled away she got a good look at his eyes that were no longer filled with pain and sadness. He seemed almost happy, which brought a smile to her lips as well.

"Thank you for everything, Kaito." She smiled lovingly, slowly letting him go as the two of them pulled away from their warm embrace.

"No, thank you." Kaito grinned back. And after a long goodbye, Miku waved to him one last time before disappearing back inside.

"Bravo, bravo, encore!" A voice laughed from the shadows. "Very convincing, you should take up acting." Neru emerged from her hiding place, trusty camera phone in hand.

"This… this is wrong, maybe we shouldn't do this after all." Kaito muttered.

"Yes, this is wrong, isn't it?" Neru asked with a sly smile as she flipped through all of the shots she had taken. "Maybe I should even things out and make your life a nightmare as well, hmm? Would that make you feel better?" Kaito looked back at the demon of a girl nervously. She could do exactly what she said, and more. Along with the people she'd already been able to dismantle like they were dolls, she had quite the reputation behind her. "Heh, didn't think so." She chuckled, turning away from him.

"At least tell me why!" Kaito exclaimed. Neru looked over her shoulder, annoyed, loudly clamping her phone shut. "Why Miku?"

"That's none of your business." She told him coolly. "Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to go and get some sleep. You're boring me."


	10. Chapter 10: Lies

Miku lay in bed, looking up blankly at her ceiling. That night had drained her, even if her and Kaito had only embraced for a short while. Something about it made her feel strange- almost nervous- to face Luka that day. It wasn't like it was serious, and it wasn't like Luka would ever really know, but it would always be in the back of her mind, reminding her about what she had done. Groaning in frustration she rolled over, burying herself beneath her sheets and hiding away from the sunlight filling her room.

Dozens of Luka's kisses were going to have make her feel better.

"Miku, are you going to get up soon?" Her mother called from outside her room. "You're going to be late for school!" Miku only buried herself deeper in her cover-cocoon in response, keeping herself hidden away for a few, long moments before allowing herself to roll out of bed and sluggishly begin getting ready.

Of course, there was one thing that brightened up her day, one thing that distracted her from the feeling of Kaito's lips still lingering in her mind. She'd recently purchased a pair of ribbons to tie into her hair, solely for the purpose of getting Luka to call her cute. Humming happily to herself, she arranged them into each of her ponytails, making sure she hadn't sloppily tied them in her mirror. She could just imagine it: Luka's cheeks glowing a very light shade of pink as she smiled at her, lightly chuckling as she commented on the ribbons. The thought alone was enough to make her smile shyly at her reflection.

She'd make up for that night in any way she could think of: making Luka smile and laugh, giving her countless amounts of tender kisses- anything to wipe away last night and how guilty it was making her.

She ran all the way to the usual meeting place, ribbons now perfectly in place. She refused to make Luka wait any longer for her. Already, she could just barely see a familiar school uniform just barely poking out from around the corner.

"Sorry for making you wait!" She sing-songed, killer smile at the ready on her face to compliment her hair accessories. But the person waiting for her certainly wasn't Luka. A cruel smirk instead of a welcoming smile met her- a demon with yellow hair tied up in a high ponytail and eyes that suited that of a hungry predator. All at once, Miku's happy expression shattered and she straightened up like a soldier being approached by their commanding officer, which made the unexpected face grin even wider.

"It's alright, I didn't wait long," Neru laughed. "But I do appreciate you ran all this way to meet me, you're so considerate."

"W-What are you doing here?" Miku asked her, frustrated, an embarrassed blush on her cheeks.

"Hmm?" Neru smiled mischievously. "Don't tell me you haven't checked your phone lately, Miku. I sent you a little something, and I think it's some of my best work yet." At first Miku felt a chill of fear run up through her, and checking her phone seemed like some sort of horrid task she didn't want to even consider doing. Curiosity got the best of her, however, her wanting to know what exactly was going on fueled by Neru's sickeningly amused grin. She looked back at her like she was a cute little puppy...

A cute little puppy she wanted to kick.

Taking her phone from her bag, Miku came to find a picture message had been sent to her from a number she didn't recognize, though she had to assume by the way Neru's smile grew impossibly larger that it had to be from her. She had half the mind to close her phone, half the mind to totally forget about it and shoo Neru off somehow, but her own curiosity forced her to open the message. And what she saw seemed to rip the ground right out from under her feet.

Even though it had been in the dark, even though she had been sure no one was around, there, clear as day, was a picture of her and Kaito locked in a loving embrace. It hadn't meant anything besides a final goodbye, but even to Miku it seemed like the real deal. Her final performance she'd put on for Kaito had been much too much, as Neru's picture clearly revealed.

"Amazing the things a man scorned is willing to resort to," Neuro snickered as Miku became engrossed in the horrifying picture.

"W-Why-?" Miku stammered, feeling as if every inch of her insides were being dragged to her feet.

"It's not a question of why, it's a question of why not." Neru sneered. "Did you really think that cute little display you and Luka did was going to end with you two getting away scot free? Seeing you two so happy together makes me want to tear those smiles away. Everyone needs to be taught that there are no easy ways out of things." The way she was going about it seemed as if she were in a state of pure ecstasy, like making people miserable purely for the sake of making them miserable brought her some sick sort of pleasure.

"W…Wh…" Still in total shock, Miku couldn't even think of what words to even say, let alone form them. Neru cackled, the frightened faces Miku was making obviously entertaining her.

"I'm sure you wouldn't want poor Luka to get that picture, and all the others I took of you and your secret lover, would you?" She asked her slyly. "After you two patched things up, imagine how much it would hurt her to find you're such an unfaithful little whore?"

"But I'm not! That kiss… it was nothing!" Miku exclaimed, her every movement frantic.

"That's not what the pictures say," Neuro told her, flipping through the many photos she had taken of Miku and Kaito. "And I doubt you haven't heard yet that I can make even the most farfetched lie sound painfully true. It doesn't matter what it is, so long as it comes from me no one will dare to question it. And you put on quite a convincing show, it's like you did most of the work for me."

Fright mutating into rage, Miku swiped at her angrily with her school bag, nearly knocking the phone out of Neru's hands, who quickly lifted it out of her attack's reach as she staggered back.

"Uh-uh-uh," She gasped, seeming surprised beneath her smirk. She must not have expected for Miku to strike out so suddenly, but the phone in her hands was probably more important than her own life. Even the most unforeseen of surprise attacks wouldn't be able to pull off what Miku had hoped to do. "I wouldn't continue to do that if I were you." Her phone still raised in the air away from her reach, she turned to screen for Miku to see. All of the photos had been gathered together in a single message, all ready to be sent to a number that was all too familiar to Miku. "Of course, unless you want your precious Luka to find out about your little tryst."

"You…you wouldn't!" Miku gasped, quickly and obediently backing off.

"If you do what I say, otherwise I'll be forced to." Neru laughed, relaxing now that Miku's second wave of attacks had been stopped indefinitely. "Now, if you would be so kind as to hold my bag? We should be heading off to school."

"But, what about-"

"Luka will just have to see herself to school. She's a big girl, I think she can handle it." Neru shoved her school bag roughly into Miku's hands and began walking ahead, looking over her shoulder with a look that cruelly commanded Miku to follow. Miku looked down the road where Luka usually came from, half hoping and half not hoping to see her. Only an angry bark for her to follow from Neru was enough to pull her away from her hopeful gaze as she began to reluctantly follow.

"Oh, and by the way…" Neru mentioned as they walked. "Very cute ribbons, they suit you very well."

* * *

All throughout the day Miku was miserable. There wasn't a moment where Neru wasn't texting her commands between classes with requests to borrow things or to use things of hers. And with each request there was a time limit tacked onto the message –never reaching above 30 seconds- which Miku had to meet or else Neru would send out the terrible library of pictures to Luka regardless if she completed her task or not. Before she had realized it, even before the day ended, she'd become her loyal dog, performing each task diligently and without complaint.

Only during lunch was Neru lenient at all. She had sent her a long list of items for Miku to pick up from the school co-op for both her and her loyal army of rumor-spreaders –to be paid for with her own money, of course- but underneath it all she had left a note saying that she could take as much time as she needed, punctuating the sentence with a winking emoticon as if her and Miku were chummy best friends. Angrily, Miku closed her phone. In her mind, she went on about how sick she was already of doing all these things for Neru, but despite her silent complaints she had already gotten up and was quickly exiting the classroom.

'It's only been a day,' she thought to herself, exhausted. "How much longer does she plan on using me until she gets bored?" Then again, there was no way of telling what Neru would do when she even got to that point. Would she give up and simply move on to the next possible victim, or would she try and make things interesting and send the photos out? Whatever she planned to do next was enigmatic to anyone but Neru herself.

"Miku!" Torn from her thoughts, Miku leaped into the air, turning around to find Luka close behind her, having crept up on her while she was lost in thought. "You didn't meet me this morning, I figured you were sick or something!"

"No, sorry, I had run so late this morning I figured you'd gone on without me and headed to school alone," Miku lied through a convincing smile. She'd played over the possible situation of meeting up with Luka some time during school and she was able to deliver the falsehood flawlessly. As far as Luka knew, Miku really had rushed off to school thinking she was late, and Neru had nothing to do with any of it.

"Well, if you're not in a hurry now, would you like to join me for lunch?" Luka asked happily. She lifted up her boxed lunch that was seemingly larger than usual. "I had a feeling you'd forget your lunch like always, so I made a little extra." The weight of her cell phone in her skirt pocket suddenly felt like it weighed thousands of pounds. But Neru had said that she could take however long she needed, and every part of her was screaming for some form of release from having been on edge all day. Luka was just the person who'd be able to take the edge off without even trying.

Neru and her friends could stand to wait for their melon bread a little bit longer.

"I'm in no hurry at all," Miku smiled cheerily. "And there's no way I'd be able to turn down something you made." She reached out, took Luka's hand and allowed herself to be led down the hallway.

"…Luka…" She mumbled as they began to ascend the steps leading to the roof unopposed.

"Yes?" The older girl turned around, looking back at her with the smile that could make her melt. They were alone, Miku could explain everything to her and avoid any sort of struggle with Neru, but her smile made her bite back her words. She didn't want to do anything that would endanger that smile.

"It's nothing," Miku said with a shake of her head as the two finally made it to the roof. The entire time they were together, Miku tried to push the thoughts of Neru out of her mind as best as she could. She smiled despite the constant reminder that at any moment, Neru could turn on her and use the photos she had at her disposal to make her and Luka miserable.

"Miku… are you alright?" Miku felt herself jump as Luka asked her the question. Her fake smile grew even more forced, as if it would enhance how convincing it was.

"W-Why do you ask?" Miku stammered. Luka didn't seem to buy the false smile that time around as she shifted around so she was facing her, eye to eye. Her hair rolled over her shoulders, brushing against Miku.

"You just seem distracted lately, that's all." Luka told her, sounding a small bit hurt over the ordeal. At that moment, Miku wanted to explain, as if she were some sort of criminal being interrogated. Again, she had the strongest of desires to explain everything to Luka and again, she decided not to, swallowing back words as well as tears of frustration.

"It's nothing," She assured her –or was she assuring herself? She couldn't tell which. "I'm just a little out of it, that's all…" Without much of a thought she reached out, placing her hands gently on Luka's shoulders, softly gripping and pulling her closer. One kiss, she thought to herself, one kiss would be enough to free her from her sad spell, at least for the moment. Her lips were so close, and she could barely pick up the floral scent of soap that clung to her. Just one little-

Her phone vibrating quickly dragged her out of the mood forcefully, and she was forced to turn away from Luka and her lips that begged Miku to press her own against them as she reached for her phone. Another message from her cruel master, asking where she was and jokingly adding the question of whether or not she had gotten lost on her way to the co-op. A sick feeling churned in her stomach as she frowned angrily.

"Miku-?"

"I have to go." Miku muttered without an explanation. She hadn't been given a set time limit, but it seemed whatever time she had was running out.

"Hold on!" Luka reached out, grasping her shoulder and keeping her from making a clean escape. "Where are you going? I something wrong?" Miku bit her lip, trying not to catch the sad look in her lover's eyes. She could definitely hear it in her voice: her usual smooth sounding words were cracking slightly.

"Nothing is wrong," Miku sighed, turning back to Luka. "I just have somewhere I have to be, that's all." She held back a groan, realizing how selfish she sounded. She forced herself to look at the hurt gaze Luka was giving her, her deep blue pools seeming as if they were holding back tears.

"I'm sorry," She added with a whisper as she planted a soft kiss on Luka's frowning lips. Against her own, she could feel them curve upward just a slight bit, just enough to make her smile into the kiss as well. The light contact tickled her, enough to make her giggle slightly as she pulled away. "I'll make it up to you later."

If Neru let her, that is.

Without a proper goodbye, Miku forced herself to leave Luka's side. Something in her gut told her a single goodbye kiss wouldn't be enough to silence her guilt. The remaining look in Luka's eyes told her so.

"You're quite late," Neru barked as Miku slunk into her classroom. She was surrounded by her two minions –most likely girls she'd already gotten her claws deep into from blackmail- Kasane Teto, and Yokune Ruko, who grinned smugly at Miku, imitating their leader. "I was very close to sending out your beautiful photos, I hope you know."

"I'm sorry," Miku nearly snapped, each word forced out through clenched teeth as she gave Neru the bounty of bread.

"Maybe if you weren't busy flouncing around with your bratty little lover we wouldn't have had this problem," Neru snickered, her minions doing the same shortly after her, continuing their game of follow the leader.

"That Luka's no good. Just because she's from a good family she thinks she's the queen of the school," Teto chimed in, looking to Neru for approval of her statement. "Right, boss?"

"She's a goody-two-shoes who's drunk off the good life, that's for sure," Ruko added. "If anything she deserves a little misery." Neru silenced both of their giggles and remarks with a simple raise of her hand, like some sort of member of royalty and Teto and Ruko were her loyal, obedient advisers. And Miku was the court jester, there for their entertainment.

"I agree," She said with a cold smile. "But I'm sure Miku already knows all about that spoiled little princess. Right, Miku?"

"What?"

"You agree, don't you?" Neru asked. "She's a spoiled girl, that Luka, isn't she? She's only perfect because she has the assets, right?"

Miku bit her lip for the seemingly millionth time that day. If anyone else had asked Miku if she thought Luka was spoiled, she would have defended her, possibly for hours, until the person either agreed with her or gave up. But this was Neru. She sounded like she was giving her a choice to state her own opinion, but those words said through curved lips and a toothy grin were all another trap.

Disagree with me and I'll make your life a living hell.

Do any little thing I disapprove of and you'll regret it.

"Yes," She muttered, head hung in defeat. "She is…without a doubt." Neru chuckled contently in response, Teto and Ruko doing the same. She loved watching Miku struggle underneath her power she had over her. Someone like her could probably see all the inner turmoil in her eyes and it did nothing but add more fuel to the fire she wanted to consume everything.

"I figured, right, girls?" Neru sneered, both her minions nodding in agreement. Then she turned back to Miku with a sickeningly friendly grin on her face, so much it looked sinister. "That is all, you may go now." And like always, Miku obeyed, feeling the ball of frustration inside of her growing ever larger. What made it worse was that she had no idea what to do besides doing everything Neru willed her to.

Hardly a day into the torture and Miku could feel herself being trapped.

* * *

"You sure you're okay?" Luka asked once more, like a broken –but extremely worried- record. True, Miku felt she was able to finally unwind during choir practice, but now that it was over, her worries were beginning to resurface, and she couldn't hide it, at least not from Luka's watchful eye anyway.

"I'm fine, really, you don't have to worry," She assured her. "We all have our off days, right? I'll be myself tomorrow."

"You'd better, I don't like seeing you so worn out," Luka told her. "Try going to bed earlier, okay."

"Yes, mom," Miku snorted. She began to leave the club room –Luka had to stay behind to take care of club business as the vice president of the club- before Luka stopped her, grasping her wrist and forcing her back around to plant a loving kiss on her cheek. Wanting the moment to last a bit longer Miku threw her arms around her, taking in her sweet scent and the curves of her body she could feel outside her clothes if she pressed herself against her hard enough.

"See you tomorrow," she cooed in Luka's ear before putting space between the both of them. Luka gave her one last wave goodbye before Gakupo called her back inside the club room.

Finally, for once during the day, Miku felt a little better. The embrace from Luka had been enough to help her bounce back a little. If she could continue to do that every day, then maybe-

"Took you long enough- you hang around that clubroom almost as much as the actual club leaders." Miku felt herself go rigid, having walked outside into the school courtyard to find Neru waiting for her with her patented snake-like smile that was enough, on it's own, to chase away Miku's good feelings.

"Neru! What are you doing here?!" She gasped, taking a frightened step back. Neru began by parroting what Miku had said in an annoying, nasally voice before explaining herself.

"I'm waiting for you, of course. I figured we could get together after school and you could do my, Teto and Ruko's homework. From what I hear, you're a pretty good student when you're not being an unfaithful harlot, so I've decided to give you a little more work to do. You don't mind, do you?" She asked sweetly, mockingly doe-eyed.

"But, I-"

"But?" Neru frowned. "But what? You want to do it, don't you?" As if to coax the correct answer out of her, she held up her phone, one of the many photos of her and Kaito at the ready.

"I…" Miku began to protest, but she quickly withdrew it the moment Neru's finger moved a slight bit towards the "send" button. "Okay, okay, I will!"

"There's a good girl." Neru cackled, stowing her phone away. "We should start heading off then, you've got a lot of work to do. The faster we get to your place the faster the fun can begin." Miku withheld a groan as she followed after Neru obediently. The trip to her house was generally quiet, but every now and then Neru would throw a look over her shoulder that mocked her silently. She was enjoying herself and enjoying watching Miku obey her.

Once they arrived at Miku's house, Neru couldn't have been more fake, putting on an uncharacteristically friendly face for her mom, acting as if her and Miku were chums, there to study together. Her delivery as such a nice, trustworthy person was flawless, and at first Miku even found herself buying into it had it not been for her reverting back as soon as they got to her room.

"Time to get to work," She said gleefully, taking out the work load and tossing it to Miku, who struggled to catch it all. "It had better be accurate, too, don't you dare make me or my friends look like fools." By then Miku felt close to crying as she got down to work, holding back tears as she began to crank out answer after answer while Neru lounged on her bed and watched her like some interesting animal at the zoo.

After what seemed like hours, Miku's brain was starting to feel numb, and she was feeling more like a robot programmed to do Neru's work for her than a person. Close to the point of burning out, she sighed heavily, leaning back in attempts to relax for a second. She flinched, expecting for Neru to bark at her to go back to work, but instead she felt a gentle hand run through the hair of one of her ponytails.

"Wha-"

"You look so cute when you're tired," Neru laughed sinisterly, moving from brushing her fingers through her hair to grasping her chin and forcing her to turn and face her. "It almost makes me feel bad."

"For what, forcing me to do all this work?" Miku snapped, trying to figure out what in the world Neru was doing.

"No, for this," she said softly, and before Miku could stop her, Neru's lips forcefully pressed against hers. Every movement Miku made to try and break free was futile, and only seemed to deepen the kiss, much to her own surprise. Neru's hungry lips muffled Miku's cries as she used her strength to push Miku onto her back. Straddling over her and both hands keeping her pinned to the ground, Miku couldn't escape no matter how much she struggled. Her frantic squirming only made Neru press herself against her even more, and when she tried to cry out, she only gave Neru access to slide her tongue inside her mouth, quickly gaining dominance over Miku's easily.

"Ah," Neru sighed, breaking the kiss herself, a trail of sticky spit strung between her and Miku's mouth. Miku panted, still trying to get away. "And you feebly trying to stop me only makes you cuter." Removing one of her hands that was pinning Miku down, she snaked her way farther and farther down Miku's body, her fingers brushing against each spot that made her squirm, as if she somehow already knew about them. Her touch came to rest at her inner thigh as she drew small, circular patterns against her skin.

"N-No!" Miku gasped, unable to stop herself from moaning.

"No? I'm sorry, but you don't have the ability to deny me anything," Neru smirked, licking her lips. Fingers purposely riding up her skirt as she brought her hand back up to retrieve her cell phone from her pocket, Neru lowered her head, lips brushing against the sensitive skin of Miku's neck. Without even looking, she navigated through her saved files, playing a recording just as she began to greedily suck.

"You agree, don't you? She's a spoiled girl, that Luka, isn't she? She's only perfect because she has the assets, right?"

"Yes. She is…without a doubt."

Miku's eyes widened as she choked back another, involuntary moan as Neru continued to suck and nibble the skin of her neck. During lunch, she'd somehow recorded the instant where she forced her to say that Luka was a spoiled, rich girl, adding yet another weapon to her arsenal without her even knowing.

"You…you…" Miku gasped, tears welling up in her eyes as Neru finished, leaving a deep-red mark where nothing could be done to hide it.

"Luka doesn't deserve you. She's been given everything she ever wanted all her life. I think she can deal not getting one thing for once," Neru laughed, looking deep into Miku's eyes. "From this moment on, you belong to me."


	11. Chapter 11: Fists

Much to Miku's luck, the day after Neru forced herself on her was unusually frigid, allowing her to wear a scarf to cover up the mark she'd left behind on her neck. Of course, that did nothing to clear away the near nauseous feeling brewing in the pit of her stomach every time she remembered the feeling of Neru's lips pressed forcefully against hers, and her icy, cruel hands caressing her. And on top of that, what she had told her had haunted even her dreams, and was incessantly echoing in her mind.

_"From this moment on, you belong to me."_

Standing at the usual corner, Miku shivered, and not because of the cold. Quickly looking in the direction Luka would usually show up from, she heavily sighed, finding the street completely empty. This certainly wasn't the time for Luka to suddenly have some sort of late streak. Should she show up there before Neru, even if the consequences were severe, Miku wanted nothing more but to begin her day with the girl she loved rather than the demon she had come to despise. She longingly looked at the street, trying to will Luka to appear around the corner and rescue her.

"Looking for someone?"

"Shit!" Miku exclaimed, the last voice she wanted to hear pulling her away from her vigil. Whirling around, she came face to face with Neru's cruel smile, clearly announcing that she knew exactly who Miku had been looking for, and she intended to sweep her away again before that person could arrive.

"My, aren't we jumpy for someone who looks like they were up all night." Neru smirked, reaching out and running her fingertips along Miku's cheek, who quickly jerked away. As much as she'd hope it would be enough to let Neru be aware that she didn't want to be touched, it didn't help in the slightest, and only made Neru's grin grow even more in amusement. "Is it because it took you that long to finish the work I gave you to do..." Before Miku could step back out of her reach, Neru got a grip on her scarf and stripped it away, exposing the red mark she'd left there with a look of pride. "...or were you up all night thinking of me?" Miku quickly grasped her neck, covering the blemish as her cheeks began to redden.

"I certainly was not!" Miku managed to snap after stammering out several broken syllables before she found the right words. "If you're here for your homework, I'll give it to you, just give me back my scarf!"

"Awww, and why would I do that? I want everyone to see the mark I managed to leave on your perfect skin." Neru chuckled, holding Miku's scarf out of her reach. "And you don't have to give the homework to me, we all did it on our own, I just wanted to get a chance to have you all to myself last night." Miku glared at Neru who grinned back at her in response. She'd made her do all that work for nothing, but even so, if she had known it would have been for nothing she still would have had to do it. Neru had her cellphone at her constant disposal after all, one filled with all sorts of things she could use against Miku should she not keep in line. "And I'm here for that same reason. I want you to walk to school with me." As if to add a sharp edge to the rather soft, familiar sounding command, Neru used her free hand to pull out her cellphone from her school bag, casually playing with it but giving Miku a look that silently reminded her of what she still had inside of the device. "You belong to me, after all, not that silly rich girl."

"I don't-"

"What was that?" Neru asked. "You don't? Because I'm so sure you do. Or do I have to play the recording again?" Miku groaned loudly in anger, the taunts driving her over the edge as she lunged at Neru. But it seemed, as always, Neru was a step ahead, and much more capable than she let on, as she grabbed Miku's arm's in a surprisingly tight grip- a grip that left Miku feeling helpless- as she turned her attack into something else entirely. She spun her around then pulled her close, so that her body was pressed against Miku's back, who tried to break free, but to no avail.

"There's no use fighting it, Miku." Neru hissed into her ear. "Sooner or later I'll break you entirely, and being so disobedient towards your master is only going to speed that process up, you know?" Miku gasped lightly as she felt Neru's lips wander over the patch of skin she'd left her mark and felt a sick feeling overcoming her as she felt the light sensation of her tongue brushing against it. But what made it worse -oh, what made it so much worse than it could have been- was the appearance of a third person rounding the corner and taking a step back in shock when they say the scene that was unfolding in front of them. Miku looked back at their widened blue eyes in complete terror- the blue eyes of the last person she wanted to see her in the position Neru was holding her.

"W...What...?" Luka gasped, dropping her bag to the ground. "M-Miku... You..."

There were so many things Miku could say at that moment, so many things she could do: try and explain herself or try and attempt to soften the blow. But at that moment, all she could think to do was run, and run she did. With a new-found surge of adrenaline, she broke from Neru's grasp and, not even bothering to grab her scarf from her, ran in the first direction her body would fly. But no matter how fast or how far away from the scene she ran, the broken look that Luka had given her was burned in her memory, right along with the sickening feeling of Neru's hands and lips.

"Well, I'd assume you'd have to figure out sooner or later." Neru laughed, not even bothering to grace Luka with a glance, once Miku had long since gone. She held the scarf close to her, taking in the sweet scent of her pet and not exuding a bit of shock or shame that Luka had caught her with her hands all over Miku. "People can't keep secrets forever."

"W-..." Luka could feel the sting of tears as they began to build in her eyes as her heart sank lower and lower. "What were you doing to Miku!"

"What did it look like I was doing? You got a clear enough shot of it that you shouldn't have to ask." Neru smirked, finally meeting Luka's devastated gaze with one that loudly mocked her. "I was holding Miku in an embrace that you foolishly thought was reserved for you- recounting what happened between us last night."

"Last night!?" Luka's vision spun for a moment, making her feel as if she would be sick.

"Oh, maybe I'm sharing too much with you. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything at all, like me and Miku had agreed..." Neru sighed, hiding her widening smirk with the scarf she was burying her face in as she tried to imitate an innocent voice. "No use keeping it a secret now, I might as well tell you. It's quite clear that Miku has no intention of saying it to your face, even though you just saw it before your very eyes."

"What!? Tell me WHAT!?"

"You no longer satisfy Miku, not one bit. Maybe you haven't noticed, I'm sure she told me she was trying to send you all the signs that she felt that way, you must be a bit more innocent than I thought." Neru couldn't help but chuckle just a bit as she spoke, taking in every inch of Luka's evolving devastation. "The one Miku loves is me. Once I gave her a taste, poor girl couldn't get enough. I felt so guilty at first, but I bet you can agree with me when I say there's just something irresistible about her. I was certain she'd broken things off with you, that's what she told me. Seems we've both been had."

"No! No, that...that can't be true! Just the other day, I could have sworn-!"

"Aww, there there, don't get so sad. I think you're better off without her." Neru mockingly comforted. "I'm sure someone like you can get much better than someone like her." She patted Luka on the quivering shoulder and hid a smirk as she passed by her, leaving her to break down on her own.

"My, that was much easier than I thought it would be." She said to herself once she was a safe distance away from Luka. "I thought it would be a bit more difficult to get rid of the trash."

* * *

Miku had forced herself to go to school, despite the red mark on her neck now clearly being exposed and how sick the very thought of even going to school now made her. There was no longer some sort of safe place for her to run to, at her back was a devastated Luka and beckoning her to follow was Neru, cold and cruel as always. All throughout the day she could hear whispers of people beginning the first stages of rumors about the mark on her neck, and she swore she heard several people bring up how sad Luka had seemed when coming to school, and how "chummy" (Which was not quite the word Miku would have chosen) Miku had been with Neru lately. Some things were a bit off in the theories, but they were spot on in the unhidden mark being Neru's doing. By the time lunch rolled around, Miku could feel the stares she got with sharp clarity and could pick up every single sentence that mentioned her, and it was suffocating. Unable to stand it any longer, she braved going out into the hallway, self-consciously holding her hand against her neck, clearly hiding something -but it was either that or let the world see the incriminating blemish. Either way, people were going to notice. She longed to escape everyone's eyes and the hushed whispers about her moving from girl to girl, about how she'd been the one who hurt Luka so much, and there was only one place where she was so sure she'd be able to do just that.

By the time she reached the doors leading to the school roof, she had quickened her pace to a sprint as she forced them open, bathing the dark stairwell in sunlight. And the moment she did that, she regretted it, because it seemed she wasn't the only person who decided to spend the lunch break up on the roof. The moment she spied the movement of long, flowing, pink hair blowing in the breeze, instead of the usual feeling of relief, she felt her feelings of panic skyrocket. There was Luka, looking out at the scenery that stretched out beyond the chain-link fence, back turned to her. Maybe she hadn't heard her loud entrance, by some miracle, and she was lost in her own thoughts. If that were the case she'd be able to escape unnoticed, but at the same time she wanted to stay there, possibly comfort the older girl and try to explain herself. But before she could decide on anything, it seemed Luka had heard her, and she turned to her with the coldest look Miku had ever seen in those beautiful blue eyes she loved so much, and even though they were a distance away, Miku could clearly tell they were bloodshot. The glare that was emitted from them was such a surprise, Miku couldn't help but take a cautionary step back.

"Oh, it's you." Along with the unfeeling look, Luka's voice was absolutely barbed, her lips curved into a tight frown as she spoke. Hearing her address her in such a sharp manner made Miku's heart ache all the more.

"Luka, we need to talk!" Miku shouted, fighting every sense that cried for her to run away. She had to explain, or else the feelings brewing inside of her would eat at her until they drove her completely insane. And it was Neru, after all, the school's infamous, fiendish bully! There's no way that Luka would be able to fully buy that her and Miku were in some sort of secret relationship, or whatever Neru and everyone else had tried to lead her to believe.

"Sure, let's talk." Luka spat. "But about what, exactly? I certainly hope you haven't come here to try and explain away what I saw this morning, like all of that was some sort of crazy accident."

"But it was!" Miku cried, clutching at her chest, right over her heart that, in her panic, was beating like wild and not making things any better. "Neru... Neru's been forcing me to do all these things for her- she's been black mailing me! I would never let her-!"

"Never let her what? Never let her touch you?" Luka asked, taking long, angry strides towards Miku until she was right in front of the near-cowering girl. She grasped tightly at Miku's hand still instinctively covering up the mark on her neck and pulled it away. "Looks like you already let her do plenty of that! If it were really such a bad thing, you would have tried to get away instead of letting her put her lips all over you!" A heavy tone of disgust was added to Luka's voice as she mentioned it, the very thought of Neru's hands and lips all over the person she thought truly loved her making her sick. "If it was so bad, why hadn't you bothered to tell me!? If it were so bad, you wouldn't have been sneaking around me to keep it a secret! But instead you led me along to think everything was fine!"

"I didn't want to get you involved!" Miku cried out again, trying to free her hand from Luka's grasp so she could hide the mark again. "I-I mean, you already have enough on your plate already, I just-"

"You didn't want to get me INVOLVED!?" Luka parroted furiously, her grip tightening. "You make it out to sound like all this stuff with Neru is so awful, but you didn't want to ask me for help? That's...that's ridiculous! Do you really expect me to buy all this Miku? With how distant you've been acting all of a sudden that I've been too blind to notice, hanging around Neru more and more, or so I've heard, going home with her... Even an idiot would have tried to get help from somewhere if they were being forced against their will to do things for someone! But you just let it happen, and refused to even tell ME about it! How am I supposed to believe all of this is all a misunderstanding!?"

"Luka, stop it! You're hurting me!" Miku cringed, feeling Luka's hand wrap around her wrist like she was trying to crush it.

"And you're hurting me, Miku! You deserve to be-!" Luka cut herself off, and Miku dared to look up at her, curious about the sudden silence. The older girl was crying, her grip on Miku loosening and then vanishing as she stumbled back, hiding her tear-strained face in her hands.

"Luka..."

"Just go away!" Luka sobbed, turning her back to Miku. "Please, just leave me alone! Don't you think you've done enough?" Miku gazed sadly at Luka's back, listening to her sobs, each one feeling like they were stabbing at her heart. She wanted to move forward and embrace the girl she loved more than anything, but she'd made it plenty clear that that wasn't going to solve anything. If anything, she'd just pull away. Forcing back her own tears, Miku quickly turned around and dashed down the stairs, not even bothering to notice the person going up them that she brushed shoulders with. She couldn't stay there and the very thought of going through the rest of the day made her feel awful. There was a chance, after all, that she'd run into Neru, who wanted nothing but to drag her down, or worse Luka, who surely didn't want to see her again.

* * *

"I thought I told you to go!" Luka shrieked, hearing the sound of footsteps behind her, above her sobs. But as she whirled around, she came to find- not Miku, but Kaito standing behind her, looking just as apologetic as Miku had, if not even more so. Now in the company of someone who probably wouldn't know what was going on with her and why she was crying, she quickly began to wipe at her eyes, trying to erase them completely as she sniffled and struggled to regain composure in front of her classmate.

"Y-Yes? What is it?" She asked, voice cracking as she choked back another stray sob.

"Luka... I'm so sorry." He muttered, his gaze at the ground instead of directed at her. This was probably the first time she'd ever seen Kaito like that: Unsure and guilty looking.

"Sorry about what? If you're just giving me your condolences I don't need them, I'm fine... really." She quickly tried to assure him. "It's just... a personal matter, I'll be over it soon."

"No, it's not that... All of this is my fault." Kaito muttered. "If it hadn't been for me, Miku wouldn't be mixed up with Neru in the first place."

"W-What?" Luka gasped, "What do you mean by that!?"

"I... A few nights after the concert, I went to Miku's place. We shared a kiss, but I swear it meant nothing! It was only for closure, really!" Kaito quickly added in an explanation about the kiss when Luka's eyes narrowed dangerously. He hadn't come there to make her even more upset, that was for sure. "But... Neru cornered me beforehand, and told me that if I didn't do as she said, she'd come after me instead of you and Miku... If I hadn't been such a coward and stood up to her, then maybe..."

"What did she tell you to do?" Luka asked, beginning to feel a sharp pain in her chest, but for a whole new reason.

"To let her take pictures of me and Miku kissing, and she's been using them against Miku ever since..." Kaito told her, looking like he was bracing himself for some sort of attack. "I figured Neru was going to let up eventually, that she just wanted to toy around with you two... I didn't know she'd go to such extremes! I still feel _something_ for Miku, and seeing her so hurt over this whole thing... I can't stand it, not any more! She never told you, because she was afraid that Neru would send you the photo and you'd jump to conclusions, but by the looks of it, I think it's about time someone told you before things get way out of hand!" At first Luka said nothing at all. She just stood statue still and stared at him, her reaction to his news slowly showing on her face that was transitioning at a snails pace from blank shock to devastation. Miku had been telling the truth all along and Neru had been using something against her to make her do things against her will. And she'd dismissed all of it and chose to stick with her own suspicions, hurting Miku in the process.

"I'm... I'm such an idiot." She mumbled as tears begin to tumble down her cheeks, a defeated look on her face. All she could picture now was the split second of Miku's own sad look she'd seen before she turned around. All of that had been for nothing, if anything she was playing right into Neru's cruel plan. Hurting Miku like that without even thinking... she was no different from her in the slightest.

And as her thoughts drifted to Neru, she felt something else- something new. In all her life she hadn't felt something so strong before, and it wasn't sadness or hurt: it was anger. Pure, unsaturated anger. And even if it would bring her to do something she'd regret, she was going to act on those feelings. Neru wasn't going to get scot free this time. It was about time someone stood up to her, and if it had to be her, then so be it. Only apologizing to Miku was going to erase the new-found heaviness in her heart, but unless she dealt with Neru now, there would always be the danger that she and her schemes would spring up again.

"Luka...?"

"Thank you, Kaito... for telling me. I'm never going to forgive you for letting something like this happen... but thank you for finally getting the guts to do something right." She told him with a weakened smile before pushing passed him.

"Hey, where are you going!?" He called after her as she began to run down the stairs.

"To make things right!" She called back, voice now full of determination as she ran. And she didn't stop running until she arrived at the doors of Neru's classroom and people blocking the doorway parted befor her like she were carrying the plague.

And there she was, plain in her sights, sitting back in her seat and laughing with her two underlings as if she'd done nothing wrong, oblivious to Luka's arrival. A hateful frown grew and grew on Luka's face as she marched over to Neru's desk, where even at an arms length away with both of her loyal minions stopping mid-sentence to acknowledge her, she pretended for a few moments more that Luka was nothing more than a breeze passing through the room.

"Heh, do you two smell something weird?" Neru asked Ruko and Teto who were too nervous to respond. They were quick to shut their mouths upon seeing the furious look on Luka's face, but Neru wasn't about to back down in the slightest, not even when faced with someone who's rage was directed completely at her. "Did someone spill garbage or something?"

"Neru." Luka snapped coldly, finally getting the girl's attention and earning an unamused side glance.

"Oh, never mind, I guess it was you." Neru shrugged, going back to looking at her cellphone. "What do you want now? Don't tell me you want me to exact your revenge on poor little Miku- she couldn't help but leave you for the better choice."

"I know all of this was because you've been blackmailing Miku, Neru, drop the act!" Luka spat, to which Neru reacted minimally. She sighed, as if having been annoyed rather than shocked that Luka knew, as she snapped her phone closed.

"Did you come all this way just to tell me that? Honestly, you're some sort of idiot." She looked up at Luka with a sickening smirk, seeming proud of herself. "Even if you know now, I still have things up my sleeve. I don't intend on handing Miku over to you, not now, and not ever in fact. Someone who's been given everything she asked for doesn't deserve to get another thing so easily, I'll make sure of that. So you want to patch things up with Miku? That's much too bad, I'll never let you have her. I'll torment the both of you so much that you'll be forced to separate to spare one another's sanity!"

Just then, Luka finally snapped. She was through with Neru talking like she'd already won. Lunging forward, she didn't even think of the consequences, only that she wanted Neru to know that if she was insisting on being relentless, she was going to fight back.

* * *

"Miku..." Miku's mother peered into her daughter's room, finding her in the place she'd deposited herself when she'd surprisingly come home early from school: Curled up in a ball under her sheets on her bed. She'd decided not to question why right away, it was clear that whatever happened at school, it had left her in tatters. Skipping classes was something she didn't approve of, but seeing her daughter's tear-streaked face as she returned home forced her to hold back her lecturing for the time being. "Your friend Rin is on the phone, she says it's urgent." Miku didn't move at first, but finally shifted out of bed and groggily made it over to the door, taking the phone from her mother.

"Are you sure you're alright, you don't need anything?" She asked, to which Miku nodded.

"I'm fine, mom, I just need some rest." Miku muttered before turning away from her and answering the phone. "Rin?"

"Oh my god, Miku! Where in the world were you!?" Rin shouted over the phone, forcing Miku to pull the phone away from her ear.

"I'm at home, what are you shouting about?" She asked, making sure to hold the phone a safe distance away just in case Rin shouted again. Her voice was shrill enough as it was when she spoke loudly face to face with someone, hearing it over the phone only added to it.

"You aren't going to believe this! Luka totally attacked Neru during the lunch break! She just walked into her classroom and went completely nuts! Some people are even saying Neru made it out with a sprain, or something!" Rin told her, still very loudly, but now that she was explaining, Miku was inclined to listen closely.

"Wait, wait, wait, Luka ATTACKED Neru?" Miku gasped. "W-Why?!"

"No one knows, she just attacked her! And by what I heard, Luka's been suspended for it! It's completely insane, I can't believe you missed-" Rin paused, hearing the clatter of Miku throwing down the phone onto the ground over the speakers of her own phone, along with the distant sound of panicked footsteps slowly getting farther and farther away. "...Miku? Um... Miku? Hello?"

* * *

The moment she had learned of Luka's predicament, Miku hadn't stopped running. She hadn't even bothered to stop to slip on shoes before she burst out of her house, following the familiar route to the Megurine estate. Hearing that Luka had literally fought back against Neru had given her a surge of energy she had been certain she had lost forever. For all she knew, Luka still had the same, hard feelings against her, but still, the news of Luka going up against her tormentor had a ring of hope to it. Struggling to take in proper breaths by the point she arrived at the gates to Luka's house, she leaned against the buzzer in exhaustion before the voice of one of the many staff answered over the speaker.

"Y-" They began, hardly getting out the first word before Miku interrupted them, panting out her words.

"Luka!" She barked out, getting a series of baffled noises from the person who had answered. Gulping down enough air to form an understandable sentence, she began again. "Is... Is Luka home?"

"I'm sorry, but miss Luka isn't accepting any visitors-"

"Tell her it's Miku!" Miku interrupted again, much too spent to be polite. "Hatsune Miku!" A long pause followed her shouting, and at first Miku figured she'd been wordlessly turned away, thought of as nothing but bothersome riffraff. But as she found the strength to stand on her own instead of using the gate for support, the gate slowly began to open before her, and through sweat-covered hair that had fallen in her face, she could just make out someone running down the driveway to meet her there.

"L-Luka!" She gasped, clumsily running forward to meet her and throwing herself into the older girls open arms. "Luka, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry I never told you, I was afraid of what Neru would do, I swear!"

"I'm the one who should be sorry!" Luka cried back, holding Miku's body close to hers, taking in her familiar scent now laced with the smell of sweat. Their bodies were pressed so close, she could feel the younger girl's heartbeat and the sweat that had clung to her begin to soak into her dry clothes. "I said all those hurtful things without even thinking... I'm an awful person. Can..." Miku could clearly hear as Luka choked back a sob. "Can you ever forgive me?"

"Luka..." Miku could feel tears building in her eyes, but a wide smile stretched across her lips as she lifted her head she had buried into Luka's chest to look up at her. "I ran all the way here without any shoes, I don't think I would have done something like that if I wasn't going to forgive you."

"Oh, Miku..." Luka sobbed lightly, returning Miku's smile with one of her own as she brushed her damp hair out of the way to lightly kiss her forehead. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Luka." Miku said in a hushed tone as she stood on her tip-toes, aware of what was to come next. "The next time I get into trouble like this, I promise I'll tell you."

"Well then, I hope you seal that promise with a kiss." Luka chuckled, hands moving from Miku's body to her face, lightly cupping it as their lips grew closer and closer together.

"I intend to." Miku laughed before pressing her lips against Luka's. And as they kissed, it was like a massive weight was being lifted from her shoulders, as if Luka's lips were sucking away all of the bad feelings that had accumulated over the passed days. She hadn't realized how much she needed her kisses until then as she felt her body feeling like it was growing lighter. A pleased, relieved moan escaped her smiling lips as they parted from Luka's.

"Luka..." She whispered breathlessly before losing balance on her own two feet, even when standing absolutely still. Had it not been for Luka catching her, she surely would have topped over onto the ground. "S-Sorry, I guess I'm a little tired..."

"I can't let you go home in this state, you have no shoes on and I'm pretty sure if kissing makes you dizzy, walking back to your place is going to put way too much strain on your body." Luka told her sternly.

"No, no, I really don't want to impose-"

"Nonsense, it's fine." Luka grinned. "I think we need a little time to catch up, anyways. All the time you spent with Neru didn't leave us much time to talk and I feel I need to get that wasted time back." She pulled Miku close to her as she mentioned it, lips just barely playing across the skin of her neck where the mark Neru had left was fading. And suddenly, Miku's not wanting to impose vanished, just like the awful feelings that Luka had chased away with her kiss, and she leaned into Luka's embrace.

"I guess you're right." she said with a smile. "I guess I do owe you that much."


	12. Chapter 12: Foes

It was no surprise to Miku that Luka's bathroom was much more big and luxurious than hers. The room itself was almost the size of her own bedroom, everything decorated in white and gold. The interior of the place was almost enough to take Miku's eyes away from her partner who was washing her body outside of the bath. Almost. Nothing could entirely force her to take her eyes off of Luka's bare skin covered in sweet-smelling lather. She could do nothing but stare, totally captivated by the beauty that was her lover's body.

"So... is it true you actually attacked Neru?" Miku asked, trying to drag herself from getting completely lost in watching Luka wash herself. The pink-haired girl heaved a sigh, pausing rubbing herself down with a sponge to explain the story.

"...I guess you could call it 'attacked', I don't even remember what I did, I was so angry." Luka muttered. "The next thing I knew I was being pulled off of her. The fact I could get so angry... It's almost frightening. I had no idea I could do things like that."

"It is a pretty big surprise. I can't imagine your gentle hands doing anyone harm." Miku agreed before giving the older girl a smile. "But then I think that you did it, in part, for me, and then I understand. I would do anything for you, Luka, even if it means doing something out of character. The fact you confronted Neru like that lets me know you feel the same way... and that makes me glad."

"Oh..." Luka mumbled with a slight smile, her cheeks reddening a bit as she tried to go back to focusing on washing herself.

"That and it feels good to know someone finally put Neru in her place." Miku laughed. "Part of me wishes I'd been there to see it." Luka laughed along with her before rinsing her body off and joining Miku in the tub.

"I'm sure now that people have seen that it's possible, you'll have plenty of chances to see people stand up to that girl in the future." she chuckled, pulling the younger girl into her lap, pressing herself against her back. Miku couldn't help but blush, feeling Luka's warm, bare skin brush up against her's. She leaned into her, sighing happily as she felt Luka's arms wrap around her, her embrace just barely brushing against her chest. She rested her hands on top of hers, losing herself in the warm embrace for a short moment before she felt the all-too-familiar feeling of lips brushing against the skin of her neck.

"Luka!" she gasped, realizing that the older girl's lips were right where Neru's fading mark was, and they were in no hurry to leave, either.

"Hush, please let me do this." Luka whispered, her breath playing along Miku's skin, making her shiver. "Can you blame me... that I want to replace the mark she made on you with my own? I don't want to look at it anymore, I want to cover it up with my own mark." She lightly sucked on the skin, but stopped as her eyes trailed up to Miku, awaiting her answer.

"O-Okay..." Miku nodded, a moan slipping past her lips as Luka went back to sucking once she had been given permission. Miku quivered, feeling the older girl's teeth lightly scrape against her skin as she began to suck harder. This was different from when Neru had done it, or maybe it was because her skin was getting licked and sucked by Luka, and she wanted her to do those sorts of things to her- that and so much more. She even moaned in near-desperation when the warmth of Luka's lips left her neck, leaving her skin feeling cold without them there. She reached up, fingers tracing along where she had sucked on her neck, wiping away a bit of saliva that had been left behind.

"I don't want to have to do that again," were Luka's next words, sounding cold and hurt. Miku turned to her, eyes silently asking her what she meant. "Not THAT, I mean having to cover up a mark someone else left on your skin. I don't want to have to come and reclaim you like this ever again."

"You won't have to, from this point on I promise, you'll be the only one who touches me." Miku told her softly, turning around so that she was facing her lover. She rested her hands lightly on her shoulders, pressing her body against Luka's. She could feel her ripe chest rub up against hers, and shivered. "The next time something like that happens, I'll tell you, no matter what." She slowly leaned in, baiting Luka to lean in as well and kiss her lips tenderly. Lips met lips, tongues lapped against tongues and skin lovingly rubbed against skin. And as they hungrily kissed one another, making up for lost days that had been taken away from them, Miku was just barely able to part her lips from Luka's, long enough to breathily whisper,

"I love you, Luka."

"I love you, too, Miku." Luka panted back after a few quick, loving kisses. And that one single "I love you" was enough to give Miku the last bits of courage to do what she inevitably would have to do. She'd overcome a major challenge, but she had yet to overcome everything just yet. There was one last thing she needed to face- one last, cellphone-wielding demon still lingering in the back of her mind, still lying in wait despite Luka's act of courage. She was going to finally face her and deal with her all by herself- something she should have done a long time ago- so that she could hear many more a wonderful "I love you" in the future.

* * *

Miku stood outside the lair of the beast, her hand just hovering over the door, bidding her time in knocking. Part of her wanted to hold off just for one more day- leave and come back to the apartment another time. Nothing sounded better than just walking away, totally unnoticed by the monster that lived inside. But running away, as she'd come to find, did nothing. She needed to handle this now, or else she'd never have the rush of courage to face off against her tormenter again. Taking a long, deep breath as if it were to be her last, she knocked on the door, flinching when she heard a familiar voice angrily groaning they were coming. She could run now, she could turn her tail and rush down the hallway and the person on the other side of the door would think nothing of what would appear to be some childish prank. But she stood her ground, her heart pounding in her ears. If Luka had the courage to stand up to her, so did she!

"What is i-" Neru began to rudely say as she opened the door, a slight smirk growing on her lips when she came to find Miku standing at her door. She had a bandage stuck to cheek and another wrapped around her wrist, the only things marking she'd been in some sort of tussle. "Oh, well look who it is. And what do I owe the pleasure of you showing up at my door?" She reached out, for what Miku wasn't sure, but she quickly shrugged away, keeping out of reach.

"I came here to talk." Miku sternly told Neru, hitting her with a no-nonsense glare. "I'm tired of you bossing me around, and if it means I have to fight you, too, I'll do it."

"Hmph, seems Luka's little outburst gave you a bit of balls, hasn't it?" Neru asked, seeming disappointed. Miku no longer looked at her in fear, or looked like she was coming close to grovelling. She was standing her ground, looking her dead in the eyes- a broken plaything to Neru.

"If you want to put it like that, sure. But yes, if she can stand up to you, so can I." Miku told Neru angrily. "You have nothing else to use against me, and I'm not going to give you the satisfaction of giving you more ammo. I'm sure even you know when to let things go, and I think this would be about that time." Much to Miku's surprise, Neru actually chuckled at what she said, rubbing her head as if she had a headache and turning away as if she had completely lost interest.

"If that's all you came to say, you can go. Getting my wrist almost broken by your psychotic girlfriend pretty much sealed the deal on my finding bigger fish to fry." She said, looking over her shoulder to Miku with a look that was just as sinister as when Neru actually was content in harassing her. "But if you want, you can at least stay for tea, at least to make up for the fact I'm the only one who came away with injuries in that little fight me and Luka had. Or, maybe, for closure." Miku wanted nothing more but to turn down her offer and leave instead of having her day possibly end on a low note from having been lured into the abode of a demon. But something in her was a bit curious, and wanted a few questions answered. A softer, kinder side of her that Neru obviously lacked wanted to end things on a good note, even with her enemy. So, without a word, she followed Neru inside, who grinned triumphantly as she walked over to the small kitchenette located near the door.

The apartment was small, definitely not designed to fit more than one person snugly. There were no signs that anyone else lived there, just Neru's things strewn all over the place. Dirty dishes were piled in the sink, and store-bought boxed lunch containers were all that filled the waste basket. Miku had to play a complicated game of hopscotch with the clothes and magazines strewn all over the floor to make it to the table.

"Do you live here alone?" Miku asked as she sat down, the answer being obvious, but she still felt the need to ask.

"Does it look like anyone else lives here?" Neru asked from the kitchen. "Both of my parents work overseas, and I haven't spoken to them in person for years. Only over the phone..."

"Oh... must be lonely..." Miku decided to say.

"It was, at first, but you'd be surprised how quickly you get used to living alone and how quick you find ways to cope." Neru explained, watching the teakettle on the stove. "Making people miserable, for instance. I've enveloped myself in finding out all sorts of ways to make people afraid of me, so my mind hardly ever crosses my parents." She spoke in a tone that almost seemed whimsical, as if she were looking back on how she came to be referred to as a life-ruiner with fondness.

"You're awful." Miku muttered. Neru merely laughed at Miku's cold retort, looking back at her from the kitchen.

"You people are the ones who are awful in my eyes. From the perspective of someone who hasn't even been held for so long she can't even remember the feeling, all of you walking around, holding hands and smiling are just rubbing your happiness in my face." The tone in her voice seemed to grow more and more bitter as she continued on. "Just for a moment, I like to make people feel how I feel, and watch them squirm. It makes me feel better- better I have to suffer always being alone, not having a soul to turn to. It makes me realize I'm the only person capable of coping with these feelings. I'm the only person who can shake off coming home to no one, being avoided by everyone, and having only myself to rely on. Even you started to crack, had your precious little Luka not made you realize you'll never be like me. No matter what I do to you, you'll always have her in the end to run to" Miku stared back at Neru, all words escaping her, and Neru lightly chuckled as she turned back around to the kettle on the stove that had begun to whistle.

"Have you ever figured you were alone because all you ever think is that you're alone?" Miku questioned. "If you bothered to stop making people miserable, maybe you'd have someone else to go to by now."

"What, so I can be soft like the rest of you? I don't think so. The older me that tried that tactic only ended up getting hurt, so excuse me if I don't want that to happen again." Neru muttered, taking the kettle off the stove and fetching two questionable looking cups from her sink piled high with dishes. "I think being the one who causes the hurt is a much better position than someone who always ends up hurting."

"Yeah, and look where that's gotten you. Now that people have seen Luka stand up to you, eventually people are going to realize you're just as powerless as the rest of us in the end. Being in your position is what's going to lead you to getting hurt in the end!"

"Excuse me if your words don't suddenly convert me, I have no intention of changing who I am. People fighting back only means I'll have to use stronger tactics." Neru told her with a smirk, dropping two tea bags into the cups and filling them with hot water. "I'll concede and leave you alone sincw it looks like you've grown thicker skin, which means you'll no longer be worth teasing. But don't come waltzing in here telling me to change. People are who they are, there's no changing that." She walked over, roughly setting one of the cups in front of Miku.

"But-"

"This isn't going to end like some sort of fairytale where the villain comes to realize their evil ways and makes some sort of reform, Miku. Real life doesn't work that way. In real life, villains are villains until they're put out of their misery." Neru told her, surprisingly okay with the words that were coming out of her mouth. "I'm content with the monster I've become, whether people like you like that or not. I think deciding to stop what I've done all these years is only going to give people even more of a reason to come after me, looking for revenge. Conforming to the person you want me to become is going to end just as well for me as you think making people miserable is, so I'm asking you politely this time to drop it. I'm leaving you and Luka alone, you should be happy with just that."

Miku stared down at her tea cup filled with murky liquid from being filthy beforehand or from the tea. Either way, she didn't feel at all like picking it up and drinking it, especially when she felt Neru reach over and run her fingers under her chin. She gasped, quickly scooting back in her chair and standing, knocking her seat over.

"I thought you said-" She began to shout.

"What, you won't even allow me one last goodbye kiss?" Neru asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Is this the closure you were talking about?" Miku questioned furiously, wiping at her chin as if Neru's fingers had been covered in grime.

"It might have been." Neru smirked. "So, how about it? Just one last little kiss, no tricks or cameras, I promise. Luka will never even know."

For a second, Miku was tempted to give in, and that was what forced her away.

"No, Neru, I'm sorry, but... No. I made a promise to myself, from now on only Luka is allowed to touch me." Miku told her angrily, to which Neru snorted.

"Then you've really become no fun then, have you?" She said with a cruel smile. "If that's the case, you can leave." The two of them stared one another down before Neru broke the gaze and turned away from Miku, whipping out her phone and very visibly deleting the content from it that she'd been using against Miku before going back to other matters. Miku continued to stare back at the back of Neru's head, feeling unsatisfied with how things had gone down, despite the fact Neru had given Miku her word that she would leave her and Luka alone.

'Maybe some people really can't be changed...' Miku thought to herself before leaving, quietly closing the apartment door behind her. 'Maybe some people are... fine just being allowed to act how that want...'

* * *

"Hey, Miku, have you heard?" Miku looked up from her lunch to Rin and Len, who she was eating with. Luka had something club related to take care of that day and it, at the very least, gave her a chance to eat with her other friends.

"Heard what?" She asked with a mouth full of food.

"About the new student!" Rin told her, looking shocked. "God, you've got some serious blinders on. If it has nothing to do with your precious Luka you have no idea about it." She looked to Len, her voice taking on a sarcastic tone. "She's even forgotten all about us."

"It's so true, Rin, we're both just old news to her now." Len chuckled. Miku groaned, flicking stray rice that remained in her lunch box at the two of them.

"You two know that isn't true." She told them with a laugh. "I just don't get around enough to hear all this hot gossip you two keep on hearing about. So what about this new student that I'm supposed to know all about?"

"She's this gorgeous red-headed second year that just transferred here from a really prestigious school- the girl even has the nerve to walk around in her old uniform." Rin explained. "Everyone says she has a reputation for being this really awesome singer, so maybe you'll be seeing her in that little club of yours. Though, personally, she seems like a real snob."

"I think she's pretty cute, she's probably just really shy." Len defended.

"Your opinion doesn't count. You're a guy, you can't judge anything that is marginally pretty because all you do is think with your dicks." Rin teased.

"Hey, that's not true, I really do think she's just shy!"

"Anyway, you'll probably meet her soon, you're oblivious, but you're not THAT oblivious." Rin chuckled, ignoring her brother completely. "And when you meet her yourself, you can judge whether or not she's 'shy' of just a snob flaunting her uniform like she's better than the rest of us."

"I'm not so quick to judge people, Rin, but we'll see." Miku told her. "If she really is a singer, then I just might get a chance to see her for myself."

* * *

Much to Miku's surprise, she was the first person to arrive in the club room. She looked around, both in and outside the room, but it seemed she'd finally beat even the senior members for once.

'...Maybe I should go and wait until other people get here...' She thought to herself, whirling around just as the club room door opened. Both her and the person at the door jumped and yelped in surprise, and it took a while for Miku to grasp what was going on. There, at the door, was a girl just like Rin had described. Long, straight, red hair and a different uniform than the ones worn at the school.

"I-I'm sorry!" She gasped, both of them trying to shift back and fourth to get out of the others way.

"It's fine, I just didn't expect to see you there." Miku assured her, putting on a smile. "I assume you're here because you're interested in the club?"

"Oh! right, I am!" The girl pipped up, nodding her head fervently. "Are you the person I talk to about joining?" Miku couldn't help but snort at having been taken for someone who actually held authority. It was a rare event, but as much as she wanted to bask in the glow of someone thinking she was one of the head members of the club, she decided to laugh it off instead.

"Sorry, I'm not. You'll have to talk to Gakupo about that, he's the head honcho here- I'm just a regular member." Miku couldn't help but notice the girl's expression shift strangely at the mention of Gakupo. Maybe his stuffiness was a legend that carried over to other schools. But, if that were the case, she'd probably shift uncomfortably too at the sound of his name, knowing who he was now. Extending her hand out for the girl to shake she introduced herself. "I'm Hatsune Miku."

"I-I'm Namine Ritsu." The girl said with a shy smile, gently taking Miku's hand. "It's very nice to meet you."


	13. Chapter 13: Secrets

The girl's kind smile, the warmth of her hand- everything about her seemed to form a sort of pink mist in Miku's vision. If her heart didn't belong to someone else, this would have been love. But instead, it was more like adoration of this girl, Namine Ritsu, who was still cheerily shaking her hand in greeting, not noticing Miku's staring at all. She seemed more interested on looking around, shyly averting Miku's gaze.

For a second year she was pretty tall- about as tall as most third-year boys would stand. With her long, red hair neatly falling around her face and flowing down to her behind, and slender form beneath her uniform, she almost seemed like a model. And she certainly didn't seem all too snobby like Rin had so harshly put it. Sure, she wore a uniform of a different, much more prestigious school, but the way she held herself -so meekly and carefully- she hardly seemed the type to rub where she'd come from in anyone's face. At least to Miku, anyway.

"Hm, seems you've already done the honors of welcoming our new member." Came a cold, familiar voice as the always unwelcome sight of Gakupo appeared behind Ritsu, who quickly withdrew her hand and, with a nervous hop, spun around to meet the unfeeling eyes of the choir club's president. For a moment he seemed surprised, looking back at the new club member who had whirled around so quickly to face him, but his eyes quickly set themselves back to their usual, indifferent setting.

"You must be Ritsu, I take it?" He asked, dryly, something else obviously occupying his mind by how annoyed he sounded. Unless, of course, more members getting into his precious club actually annoyed him. Knowing him, to Miku, it seemed a strong possibility. But despite his words and the way he looked back at her, Ritsu responded in a nervous but lighthearted tone, rocking back and fourth in place with each word as she frantically tried to make her hair -which was fine in the first place- presentable. The way she spoke was almost like she was addressing a prince come to carry her off on his white steed.

"Y-yes, I'm Ritsu!" She squeaked with a clumsy nod, her nervous rocking back and fourth almost sending her stumbling into Gakupo, who was regarding her with reverence -he didn't seem at all put off by how she was acting- but not much else. "You're Kamui Gakupo... right?"

"Of course I am... have we met somewhere before?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow at the girl still shyly fidgeting before him. Ritsu looked up at him, completely ready to explain.

"We met at last year's choir competition, remember?" She questioned, her expression softening a bit and looking almost broken, as if she was ashamed for having gotten so worked up about it. "It was so long ago, I'm sure you don't..."

"Oh, right, the choir competition, you were the solo act that brought your school's club to victory, if I remember correctly..." Gakupo said thoughtfully before he looked over Ritsu's shoulder and right at Miku. His usual, annoyed look had returned, much to Miku's dismay, who took a cautionary step back. Ritsu, on the other hand, not understanding, looked between the two in panicked confusion.

"W-what?" Miku finally asked in a nervous tone as Gakupo passed by Ritsu as if she wasn't standing right in the doorway in front of him. She watched him pass in a way someone would watch royalty pass by. Royalty that regarded her as garbage, that was.

"Speaking of the choir competition, I had to skip the entire last period to convince the school council to allow Luka to attend despite her past suspension." Gakupo explained in a sour tone, looking down at Miku like he hoped, somehow, his gaze could make her vanish from his sight. What he didn't know was that he was mighty close to succeeding. "If she wasn't such an important member to the club I wouldn't have bothered, but this year I'm not going to suffer such a humiliating defeat." Over Gakupo's shoulder, Miku caught a glimpse of Ritsu looking at Gakupo's back in surprise, and then with guilt as she turned her eyes to the floor.

The choir competition was a gathering of all the schools with singing groups in the area. The prize for winning was nothing more than a trophy and bragging rights at best, but those who attended treated the event very seriously. Everyone seemed to be in Gakupo's mindset, it seemed, in that they were all in it for the sake of pride in saying their choir was the best in the area. From what Miku had gleaned, their school had gotten all the way to the finals the year before, only to be beaten horribly by the school opposing them. Gumi had been the one who told her, and even she -being the lighthearted, carefree girl she was- seemed bitter about the whole ordeal. Apparently the final round had been a solo competition, and the opposing school's choir chose to have the only first year in the group represent them. From what she'd been told, the girl hadn't really shown in the group itself all that much, and didn't seem to pose that much of a threat, but when she sang alone she blew everyone out of the water. Her performance took the wind out of everyone's sails and left them utterly defeated. Not only had they lost, they'd lost to a first year the other choir had kept hidden away specifically for that event.

"So Luka can come then, right?" Miku dared to ask, but quickly regretted it as Gakupo looked down on her with his usual gaze: like she was some sort of insect buzzing in his ear.

"Of course, what sort of club president would I be if I didn't do everything in my power to make sure our club wins this year?" He muttered, eyes finally looking back to Ritsu, who straightened up like she was under the critical eye of some sort of decorated, strict general. "Even if it means taking advantage of a student making the motion to transfer schools and making it a certainty they'd be accepted." Ritsu blushed like mad, a few stammers reaching passed her lips, but nothing more. She fidgeted in place, lips tightly pressing together as if they were keeping her from so much as breathing. Gakupo seemed to pay her reaction no mind at all, and all he did was briefly observe that she was standing there before strutting further into the choir room to gather a stack of papers sitting on one of the few tables in the room. He tapped the pile of papers against the table, making them nice and neat.

"You two should probably be heading home. Miss Meiko had some business to attend to pertaining to the choir competition and our newest member." He told them without even bothering to look at them as he whirled back around and headed for the door to the room, which Ritsu was quick to vacate so he could easily pass through. It almost seemed like she was suppressing a bow the way she was holding herself as he walked passed her once more.

"But what about practice?" Miku interjected, keeping Gakupo in the room a few seconds more than he would have liked, judging by his expression. "I mean, we just got a new member, so..."

"The group seems ready enough to me, judging by former practices. I still question the decision to let you and Luka do _that_duet, normally letting first years do anything but sing with the rest of the group goes horribly wrong. The last time we decided to give the first year a large part in a performance, things obviously didn't go as planned." He glared at her in the corner of his eye. Obviously, he was bringing up the scenario that had gone on between her and Luka during their first concert concerning the very duet they were planned to sing at the competition. Miku wasn't sure whether to glare back or feel bad about it all. "As for out new member... I'm sure she can handle herself." The look he gave Ritsu was softer -or rather it was blank, filled with hardly any feelings at all. This seemed to devastate Ritsu more than if he had given her any sort of look at all. She looked like she was trying to seem happy, though, and was struggling to accept the what seemed to be a compliment about her singing by putting on a not-so-convincing smile in response.

Gakupo didn't bother to spare a goodbye once he'd explained and promptly left the room, no doubt off to deal with last minute matters about the trip they would be taking during school to attend the competition. It was probably a job Miss Meiko could do herself, but as always, Gakupo probably felt that if he didn't do anything than everything would be flat-out wrong. From what he'd said, it sounded like he'd managed to convince the school council to allow Luka to attend the competition as well -despite her suspension that would normally keeping her from doing otherwise- all by himself. He probably had paperwork to look over, grades and what not of the other members to check, their set list to organize... It wasn't like there weren't other members in the group who had some sort of authority that could help him, but, to Gakupo, there was probably no one else better fit to carry out those sorts of things.

Once he'd left, Miku noticed Ritsu slump, loosing her tense composure, as she heaved a sigh that seemed to drag her shoulders father down. At this, Miku couldn't help but smile just a bit. Gakupo obviously had been too busy being uptight to notice, but it was clear as day to Miku, who had felt the same way for someone else not too long ago.

"You like him, don't you?" She asked in a light chuckle, causing Ritsu to jump like she'd been literally shocked by Miku's words.

"W-what!?" She gasped, hands already over her cheeks to hide her blush.

"Gakupo," Miku specified, getting a small kick out of how shocked Ritsu reacted to being confronted about it. "Of course, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but it seems like you really like him."

"Well, I- It's more like I really look up to him, that's all... he seems... really cool, that's all." Ritsu uncomfortably shrugged, not meeting Miku's eyes as she explained. "When we met at the choir competition last year, he just left this... impression on me. Ever since that, all I've wanted to do is see him again and talk to him again..."

"Sure, sure, let's call it 'looking up to him' if you're too shy to say it out loud." Miku teased as she waltzed passed Ritsu and into the hallway, waiting for the taller girl to follow after her. She twisted around, smiling kindly at Ritsu to in some ways assure her that she wasn't trying to be mean spirited in her teasing.

"It- It doesn't matter, anyway, it looks like he hardly remembers our meeting last year at all." Ritsu heavily sighed, her shoulders sinking impossibly more as she convinced herself of that fact. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to remember me, anyway. I'm the one who ended up taking victory from him and the rest of your school's choir club last year..." Her last words were practically whispered, but Miku heard them loud and clear. Her eyes grew wide as she gasped, approaching Ritsu and standing on her tiptoes as she looked up at her with a new sense of interest.

"YOU were the girl who beat them last year!?" She exclaimed, mouth completely agape when she wasn't speaking.

"Shh, not so loud!" Ritsu hissed, blushing all the more. "Is it really something to get so excited about!?"

"Yes, it is!" Miku said strongly, giving her head one, vigorous nod as she spoke. "You really should sing for me sometime, I'd really like to hear you sing!"

"Y-You would?" Ritsu asked in surprise. Miku nodded again, and the look of shy surprise didn't leave Ritsu's face for a moment. But one thing was for sure, it seemed her woes about Gakupo seemed to be washed away, at least for the moment.

"Of course, I'm a first year now, and the fact that you were able to sing so well back when you were in the same year as me makes me curious to hear it -if not a little jealous." Miku admitted with a guilty shrug, finally garnering a short and sweet chuckle from Ritsu.

"And don't you worry about Gakupo, alright? We have the competition trip after all, you'll have plenty of time to tell him then!"

"Tell him what?" Ritsu questioned.

"That you like him, silly." Miku grinned.

"I-I told you, i-it's not like that a-at all!" Ritsu groaned in embarrassment. Miku scampered backward, laughing at Ritsu's reaction, just in case the taller girl tried to bat at her in frustration. It felt strange, but at the same time strangely comfortable that it was so easy to talk -and more so to taunt Ritsu, in a friendly way of course. She was a year her senior, but somehow it was like Miku was speaking to someone much younger than her. Maybe that was why it was so easy to talk to her and get close to her.

"Well, looks like you're having fun." A familiar, melodic voice spoke above Miku's laughter and Ritsu's nervous stammering. Miku twisted around in excitement, coming face to face with the blue eyes and soft smile she loved so much.

"Luka!" She exclaimed happily, quickly approaching the pink-haired girl and stopping hardly an arms length away, stopping herself from greeting her with a leap and hug. Instead, she settled for a gentle pat on the head that ruffled her hair from her beloved. She squirmed happily, pressing the top of her head against Luka's warm touch, like a dog asking to be pet more. "What are you doing here- not that I mind, of course!"

"Gakupo needed me to fill out some paper work for that whole competition debacle, and I figured I could kill two birds with one stone and walk you home." Luka explained sweetly, moving her hand from the top of Miku's head to the back of it, as if she was getting ready to kiss her. But instead, her eyes flicked over to Ritsu, who was standing awkwardly behind Miku, unsure of how to introduce herself while Miku and Luka were being so intimate.

"Hmm?" Miku turned around, realizing Ritsu was still behind her. "Oh, Luka, this is Ritsu. She just transferred in!"

"We've met." Luka said, her tone changing a bit. It wasn't exactly hostile, but it was much more subdued. "Leave it to Gakupo, he went to such extremes he brought over the girl who managed to out-sing us last year. That guy sure wants to win, that's for sure." She gave Ritsu a half smile, one that was welcoming but not all that approachable. Ritsu shyly smiled back, giving Luka a slight bow in response.

"I-I'm looking forward to singing with you. If I remember right, you sang beautifully at last year's competition." Ritsu said politely, to which Luka smiled again. But it was more like a smile one would put on for strangers, not so much the warm, loving smiles she gave Miku.

"Oh! And..." Miku stood on tip toe and whispered something into Luka's ear quiet enough that Ritsu couldn't eavesdrop, but it was clear what she'd told her, judging by Lukas reaction. She looked at Ritsu as if she'd become a million times cuter, fingers pressed to her lips in laughter.

"Oh, Gakupo, is it? Well, there's a strange turn of events. I didn't know he had any admirers."

"I-I'm telling you guys, it's not like that at all!" Ritsu cried in embarrassment, her cheeks turning bright red. The other two just laughed, not buying it for a moment.

* * *

As day crept into night, the setting sun seemed to set the sky above Miku and Luka on fire, bathing everything around them in a warm, red glow. The two of them had stopped on their way to Miku's house, making up for the time they didn't get to spend with one another that day. Among the trees and walkways, hardly any other people were walking about at that hour, so it allowed for the two girls to do as they pleased without the prying eyes of some onlooker watching them. But by then all they'd done was sit and talk about how their day had gone with Miku resting her head on Luka's shoulder, taking in her lover's scent with each breath she took.

"I missed you today." Miku sighed, drawing closer to Luka as she spoke. She pressed her body against Luka's arm, tilting her head so she could get a good shot at her neck. Maybe Luka had suspected she'd be tempted to move in all along, seeing as she'd moved her hair to one side sometime before, leaving one side of her neck exposed to Miku. Miku took advantage of this and pressed her lips softly against the warm skin of Luka's neck, causing the older girl to shiver.

"I missed you, too." Luka said with a smile, turning so she was facing Miku. They'd been holding back, the both of them, long enough. They'd exchanged what they'd wanted to share with the other, and now all that was left were the things other than words they wished to exchange. Resting her hands on Luka's lap, Miku craned her neck as Luka bowed her head just enough so that their lips could touch. It had only been one day, but to the both of them it had seemed so much longer. It was almost frightening how attached they were to one another, that one short day threatened to drive them mad with loneliness.

"Luka..." Simply moaning her name left a sweet taste in Miku's mouth that couldn't compare to any sort of candy. She could say it forever and never grow tired of it. But, instead, she only said it once and went back to hungrily kissing Luka's lips, feeling an excited shiver run through her as she felt the older girl nibble flirtatiously at her lower lip. Miku couldn't help but let out a small, needy moan as she parted her lips and allowed the kiss to evolve into something much more. She couldn't get enough of it: the taste of Luka's mouth, the sweet flavor of her saliva. She wanted nothing more than to remain like that, if it were at all possible. But the moment ended much too quickly for her liking as Luka pulled away from the kiss, leaving Miku wanting much, much more. Her heart was beating wildly and her body had grown overwhelmingly hot. She followed after Luka's retreating lips, only to have her pursuit stopped by Luka, who reached out and pressed her finger against Miku's eager lips.

"Why don't we stop there for now?" She asked with a smile, seeming like she was holding back laughter at the look on Miku's face.

"But-" Miku began to protest as Luka's finger slid away from her lips, her whole hand now cradling Miku's cheek.

"Shh, we'll have plenty of time to do this and much more during the competition trip." Luka told her with a grin, leaning in a second time, like she was going to kiss Miku again. But she kept her lips at a distance as she spoke, only drawing close enough that Miku could feel her warm breath caress her face. "I want you to be eager for when that time comes, it will be a moment where we'll truly be able to be alone. Can't you just picture it, you and me in a hotel room together, all by ourselves?" It was true, the choir trip would span a few days, and during that time, the club members would be staying in a hotel near the events center the competition would be held in. The very thought of being alone in a hotel room with Luka- oh god, her head quickly began to swim chaotically with thoughts that made her cheeks grow warm. Even Luka looked like she was trying to keep her composure as she spoke of it.

"Yeah... I can picture it." Miku said with a nod, trying to keep herself from looking like she was seconds away from possibly drooling. Luka must have picked up on it, however, seeing as she stifled a laugh.

"Let's restrain ourselves until them. When that moment comes, we'll be able to go all out... that is, if you want."

Miku anticipated being able to kiss and touch Luka and be kissed and touched by Luka without any restrictions, but a nervous feeling grew in her stomach at having it called "going all out". However, She didn't act on her own nerves and tell Luka about what was going through her mind. She only reached up, resting one of her hands on top of Luka's, lacing her fingers through hers and giving her a smile that managed to flawlessly hide everything.

"I do." She said with a light nod, not wanting to dislodge Luka's hand from her cheek. "I want that... more than anything."

* * *

"You're still broken up about him leaving us, aren't you?" The silver-haired girl looked down at her counterpart, a girl with chestnut hair that fell around her face and onto her shoulders. "Or rather, you're broken up about him leaving YOU, huh?" She silver-haired girl circled the other, like she was a bird of prey, giving her a cruel smile and looking at her with eyes that seemed to be enjoying -not necessarily the girl's sadness, but rather the scene playing out before her eyes.

"I just... he left without even saying goodbye!" The other girl spoke, her voice hoarse from crying, most likely, but at the same time it was naturally quiet and sweet, hardly being able to carry over even the most reverent of noises. Her almost whisper-like voice matched her cute demeanor, though part of that was sullen by the devastated look in her eyes as she looked forlornly down at her feet as she clenched and unclenched her tiny hands.

"I know, it was very cruel of him, wasn't it? After everything you've been through, he chose to leave." The silver-haired girl sighed, the look she had on her face remaining as she stopped behind the girl. She approached her from behind, the quiet girl jumping a bit as she felt her wrap her arms around her, pulling her petite body up against her own. The cruel-eyed girl's hands purposely wandered over the girls body as she embraced her, hands pressed against her body as they ventured over her breasts slowly as the girl with silver hair indulged herself in their warmth before bringing her hands to rest right below the other girl's chest.

"Tei-" The girl gasped, her words hardly more than a breath before she was cut off by the girl behind her pressing her lips to her neck. The timid girl's breath hitched, and she flinched as if the other girl's lips had burned her skin, which seemed to displease the other, who looked up at her with narrowed eyes. She did, however, refuse to remove her lips, and spoke with then still brushed up against her skin.

"You should take revenge. It will be perfect, he'll never see it coming from you. Not someone as sweet and kind as you, Miko." The silver-haired girl's words were heavy with lust as she poked her tongue out from between her lips, licking the timid girls neck all the way up to her jawline.

"N-No... I...I just couldn't... not to him..." The girl's words were pants now as her resisting towards the other girl's advances became less and less forward. At this point as the girl still pressed behind her reached down with one hand and rested her hand on her inner thigh, she hardly did anything to stop her aside from a breathless, "please... don't..."

"He deserves it, you know he does." The other girl told her, her voice much more harsh as her hand, still near her chest, traveled back upward, greedily grasping at the warm lump of flesh on the chestnut-haired girl's chest, who let out a feeble moan. Her other hand drifted higher up her thigh, riding up her skirt, and showing no signs of stopping until her hand reached the girl's most sacred part of her body. "Believe me, you'll feel so much better when you get revenge- I know for a fact you will. So..." She paused as if knowing the timid girl would gasp in surprise as her cold fingers brushed up against the warmth between her legs. "...Just do as I tell you, alright? If you do that, I promise you, you'll be much, much happier."

* * *

The bus ride to the hotel the chior club would be staying at had been an enjoyable one. Miku had tried to convince poor Ritsu to sit next to Gakupo, who had taken a seat at the very front of the bus, but she had blushingly refused. Instead, she sat across from her and Luka, with Gumi, who teased her about her shyness the entire trip. There hadn't been a moment where Ritsu's cheeks hadn't been at least a shade of red.

"Well, it's pretty obvious you are crushing on him. It's only a matter of time before Gakupo notices himself." Gumi laughed as the four of them walked off the bus and into the parking lot of the hotel. It was well into the night, but it seemed a lot of other buses carrying students from other schools had just arrived, and it looked like everyone was socializing around the hotel rather than going inside to their rooms. The air was filled with excitement over the competition, how could anyone think of going inside and sleeping? Miku looked around, getting excited herself. Despite how Gakupo had made it sound, everyone seemed so relaxed, and she could see students talking to others who wore different uniforms. He'd made it sound like an uptight competition, but maybe she should have taken it with a grain of salt. Everyone else seemed to having a grand old time with one another.

"I'm telling, it's not-!" Ritsu began to say before her eyes caught something and widened, her mouth hanging agape, full of unspoken words.

"Hmm?" Everyone looked in the direction she was looking, coming to find a sweet looking beauty standing before them. Everything from her smile to her posture to how she nervously swayed back and fourth on her two feet made her seem absolutely harmless, like a newborn puppy. She was wearing the uniform Ritsu had shown up in the first day of school -as of that moment, she was wearing Miku and Luka's now- but on top of it she wore a adorable pink jacket with lace and adorned with a floral pattern, the hood up over her head.

"Oh, hello!" Miku greeted, throwing a hand up in greeting. The girl seemed taken aback by her friendly gesture and stumbled back a step, giving her a look of what almost looked like fright. It had been something so simple, but Miku almost felt guilty about it, no matter how ridiculous it all seemed.

"R-Ritsu..." She stammered, looking like she was trying to regain composure. Her eyes looked troubled as she looked to the redhead, who looked back at her with a softer look now that the shock of her appearing had worn off. "It... it looks like you've already made a lot of new friends..."

"Well everyone's been really nice. I was worried at first, but I guess I shouldn't have worried." Ritsu chuckled, rubbing the back of her head and turning back to Miku and the others. "This is one of my friends from my old school. Her name is-"

"Miko!" a voice called over the din of the crowds of other students around them. The shy girl who they assumed was the Miko who had just been called, flinched, looking like she was afraid and turn around to face who had just called out to her. Emerging from a crowd was a tall girl with long, silver colored hair that seemed to glitter in the light of the moon above them that reached almost to her feet and just barely hovered above the ground. She was beautiful, but it was a cruel beauty, like a rose with it's thorns exposed, and she walked in a manner as if she were better than everyone around her with her head held high and back straight, her movements flowing and elegant.

"O-Oh... Tei..." Miko finally spoke up, though it was hard to hear as she looked over her shoulder with a forced smile.

"I was wondering where you wandered off to. Looks like you've found an old friend." Tei laughed coldly, her smile just as cruel as her looks. She stopped at Miko's side, resting a hand firmly on the girl's shoulder. Miko flinched again, squeezing her eyes tightly as Tei touched her.

"Oh, h-hello, Tei..." Ritsu said cautiously, growing stiff as a board as Tei's cruel eyes fell on her. Maybe it was the light, but they almost seemed red, like a demon's eyes.

"My, Ritsu, it's felt like so long. We've really missed you, it's a shame you had to leave." Tei said with a sneer. Her words were polite but something about them just seemed absolutely evil. "I see you've made friends? I recognize a few of them from last year, they're from the school we crushed last year, right?" She looked at the other three with a look of superiority, giving them a toothy grin that seemed to make even Luka look like she was holding back anger over her obvious bragging.

"Um- mm hmm..." Ritsu nodded. "This is Gumi and Luka, they were in their club last year, and Miku. She's a first year." Her explanation seemed almost robotic.

"Aww, how cute. She seems so innocent, quite an addition to that stuffy club of that fool, Gakupo." Tei scoffed, looking at Miku with a looked that mocked her very, very loudly. "Maybe that's why he was so eager to welcome Ritsu into his exclusive little club: to make up for the lack of talent."

"Hey-" Luka began to snap, but before she could even begin, Tei's focus was back on Ritsu and it seemed as if she had blocked out the fact anyone else was there at all. She might as well have been about to yell at thin air, so she bit back her words as she gave Miku's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"You know, Ritsu, you should be really careful about how friendly you get with these people." Tei told her, her voice growing harsh, accenting the words "these people". "You never know if you'll end up exposing more than you want to if you warm up to people so quickly." Ritsu stiffened, her eyes growing wide and her mouth hanging open as if she were about to beg. Tei seemed all too amused by this, and gave her reaction one, single snort before pulling an uncomfortable looking Miko close to her.

"Well, anyway, we should get going. Still a lot of practice to do and all." Tei said as she turned around, yanking Miko along. She looked over her shoulder, giving everyone a look that both apologized and pleaded for help as she walked away with Tei.

"God, she hasn't changed at all since last year- what a nasty little troll." Gumi humphed once Tei was out of sight. "If I could, I swear I'd slug her right in that smug little mouth of hers."

"She's just trying to get a rise out of us before the competition. You'd only be giving her what she wants." Luka muttered, but the tone of her voice gave away that a part of her agreed.

"...Hey, Ritsu, what did she-" Miku began to ask before getting cut off.

"I should go!" Ritsu quickly blurted out in one, quick breath, still completely tense. Before any of the three could convince her to stay, she was already walking away, each step imitating a robot, it's gears old and rusted.

"What's wrong with her?" Gumi asked, sounding concerned as they watched their friend stiffly speed away. Luka sighed, shaking her head.

"Maybe... it's best if we don't try and pry."


	14. Chapter 14: Desires

Miku could feel her heart fluttering nervously as she sat on the firm mattress of the hotel room bed, listening to the soft pitter-patter of the shower running in the bathroom. She wrung her hands, eyes focused on her feet dangling just above the floor as her heart pounded loudly. Normally, she would have asked Luka, who was showering, if she could shower with her instead of choosing to sit outside, but there was something overwhelming about the situation- something that wasn't like all the other times they'd been alone together. This time they weren't in a house, where they were limited to what they could do for the sake of other people possibly walking in, or hearing, and maybe she'd simply grown used to that. Now they were together in a room where no one else would bother them. They were in a hotel full of people, obviously, but they might as well have been all alone.

'Why does this make me feel so anxious?' Miku thought to herself as she gripped the fabric of her skirt in her hands. It wasn't like they hadn't slept in the same bed as one another, warming each other with their bodies, but the way she was acting it might as well have been their first time even being faced with such a thing. And even so, they certainly hadn't done anything too extreme, but the way Luka had put it before they left... it made her heart pound with excitement, but also with fear. Maybe it was just her mentality as a virgin, but if that was the case, then Luka...

The sound of the water shutting off in the bathroom broke Miku from her wandering thoughts. She could hear Luka humming a cheery tune now that echoed from inside the bathroom. It just seemed even all the more overwhelming that Luka was in there, probably not a care in the world and Miku was right outside, fearing she would have some sort of anxiety attack. Nerves completely on edge, all it took was the quiet click of the bathroom door opening to make Miku jump where she sat, snapping her head up just in time to see Luka step out of the room, followed closely behind by tendrils of steam that clung to her. Her body, still damp and dripping from her shower, was wrapped in a small hotel towel that hardly was able to cover her ample chest as well as the rest of her. A small adjustment in either direction would leave lewd things exposed, Miku was sure.

"The shower's free." Luka told her with a relaxed smile, brushing a wet strand of hair from out of her face. Miku smiled back, her eyes darting back and fourth rapid fire between Luka's face, her body -still wet and steamy from her hot shower- and the floor in a shy manner.

"Ah...right, thanks." Miku nodded as she slowly slid off of the bed, blushing lightly as her skirt managed to ride up as she did so. Her green and white-stripped panties poked from underneath her skirt for a short moment before she squeaked in surprised and fixed her wardrobe malfunction. Over her pounding heart she could hear Luka laugh, amused, as Miku fixed her skirt.

"Is something that matter?" She asked with a light chuckle as she approached the younger girl. At this distance now, Miku could feel the heat radiating from Luka's body. "You seem really edgy for some reason... Nervous about the competition tomorrow?" She reached up, softly caressing Miku's cheek with a loving hand. She could feel Miku's cheeks grow warm as a light-pink hue appeared on the surface of her skin there.

"Y-Yes... that's probably it." Miku assured Luka as well as herself as she nodded, eyes averted elsewhere besides Luka's supple body presented before her. "The competition..." Her words trailed off as she felt Luka's hand shift from her cheek to her chin, cupping it lightly and tilting her head back. Miku could tell what was coming next and she could already feel the warm sensation of Luka's body drawing close before it was pressed up against her. The towel wrapped around her body was so thin and as she pressed her body close to Miku's it felt like there wasn't anything at all. A tiny gasp exited Miku's lips moments before it was snuffed out by Luka's as she pressed a gentle kiss against her mouth. Miku's body stiffened up, hesitant at first to Luka's advances, but she felt herself melting into Luka's kiss. For the first time that night, she felt herself finally calming down a bit as she returned Luka's kiss.

"You don't have to worry so much. Gakupo makes this whole thing sound like it's such a big deal, but if we lose, it's not the end of the world." Luka assured her, breaking the kiss for a moment before taking Miku's face in both her hands and drawing her in again, this time kissing her more passionately. With the hand that had been holding up her towel now placed lovingly on Miku's cheek, the damp piece of cloth soon fell away as the two kissed, leaving Luka completely bare. Miku shuddered as she reached out, placing her hands on Luka's hips and feeling nothing but warm, wet skin.

The kiss deepened quickly, and the room soon became filled only with the sound of muffled moans of the two girls. Miku could feel her anxiety begin to leave her bit by bit the longer the kiss lasted. The longer she felt Luka's tongue brush against hers and the longer the sweet taste of the older girl's saliva filled her mouth she felt herself being washed over with a serene sense of calm.

But that was quickly swept away just as she acknowledged it. She felt Luka's hand wander up her skirt and soon her fingers dipped passed the waistband of her panties, but hardly farther than that. Miku was quick to pull away at that point, almost as if Luka had hurt her somehow.

'Oh, god... why in the world did i just do that!?' She thought to herself as she looked up at Luka's confused and hurt expression.

"Miku..."

"Sorry, I... I'm a little thirsty, I'm going to get a soda." Miku said in a rush as she wormed her way around Luka awkwardly, who's eyes seemed to be glued to where she used to be standing instead of following her escape. She didn't seem to have anything to say in response, either, or rather Miku had left the room before Luka had a chance to say anything at all.

Once she was out of the room, Miku could finally focus on her frantically beating heart and her mind swimming with nothing but panicked thoughts. Luka one-on-one with absolute privacy... she thought she would enjoy it and she was certain that was what her heart wanted. But when it came time to finally be with her- to have zero restrictions and no fear of being found, their bodies melding together... Miku couldn't help but feel overwhelmed, so much it made her feel almost queasy from all the nerves building up. Leaning against the hotel room door, she heaved a sigh, half expecting for Luka to follow after her, but after a good, long minute had passed -that seemed like an eternity to Miku- she pushed herself away from the wooden surface and wandered down the corridor instead of going back inside. After that whole performance, how could she possibly?

The hallway was filled with the muffled sounds of happy, excited voices; Students on the other side of the doors, making the best of the trip, enjoying themselves and seeming to lose themselves in the natural high being supplied by the coming morning that, until recently, Miku had been enjoying as well. For an event labeled as a competition, everyone seemed awfully laid back -then again, it may have all been just hype from Gakupo, master of taking all things seriously. Students from other schools gathered in small packs along the hall here and there, traveling passed Miku and laughing with one another as if she weren't even there. She wished she could laugh, she wished she could enjoy herself -and she had been! But now, with Luka back in their room probably thinking god knows what disappointed thing about what had just happened between them, Miku could only look down at her feet and withhold exhausted, flustered sighs.

She found herself actually making a B-line for the soda machine, despite her saying she'd been thirsty being only a falsehood to get her out of the room. Where else did she have to go, anyway, Gumi and Ritsu were both in separate rooms and obviously she hadn't thought of grabbing her phone before she smoothly stumbled out of her and Luka's hotel room. No one else seemed to be around, so Miku felt that now she could express her discontent a little more openly and groaned in frustration -mostly aimed at herself and her own, stupid nerves- and let herself fall forward, her forehead smacking against the warm surface of the soda machine.

"I'm just so..." she muttered to herself, her words hardly audible over the mechanical whirr of the machine she was leaning against.

"So what?" Miku gasped, realizing she wasn't alone. She pried herself away from the soda machine clumsily, nearly throwing herself back with such a force she nearly threw herself onto her back. Once her feet were safely planted on the ground she finally looked up to see who had interrupted her moping around, and seeing who it was only made her feel all the more awful -as well as embarrassed. There stood Gumi -clad in nothing but a tank top and shorts- both leaving little to the imagination- looking like she was holding back laughter after watching the younger girl nearly topple over onto the ground.

"G-Gumi!" Miku stammered, nervously adjusting her uniform.

"What are you doing out here, huh?" She asked with a chuckle. "I figured I wouldn't see you for the rest of the night." Her tone was highly suggestive, and it only made Miku feel worse about what she had just done as she looked down at her feet.

"Hey... is something wrong?"

"N-No, nothing's... I'm just really..." Miku muttered, trying to gather her thoughts. It all ended with her hiding her face in her hands the moment she noticed her vision was blurring and eyes were stinging from tears she hadn't even expected herself to shed. She shook her head quickly afterward, trying in an almost panicked manner to wipe away her tears as she hiccuped and stammered, trying to regain composure and start over. "I...I..." All she could think of was how she'd just refused Luka's advances without a word of explanation and left the Luka standing there in the room alone. She could only imagine, from Luka's point of view, that what she'd done had hurt the person she held so dear. And the fact she almost feared her touch before...

Miku suddenly felt herself being wrapped in a warm embrace that seemed to bring her sobs to a halt. She looked up to see Gumi, kindly wrapping her shivering form in her arms to comfort her. Without a second thought, she held her back, resting her face against Gumi's warm bosom, dampening the girl's tank top with her tears.

"I-I'm sorry..." Miku apologized shakily as she gripped the fabric of Gumi's shirt lightly in her quivering hands.

"Nothing to be sorry about." Gumi assured her warmly, lifting one of her arms up so she could pat Miku kindly on the head. "Now, how about you tell me why you're out here on the verge of tears instead of being back with Luka."

"It's... it's stupid, really..." Miku muttered in shame.

"Nonsense, anything that's worth crying over isn't stupid." Gumi told her sternly, as if she were scolding her. "Come on, we'll talk about it over some soda."

* * *

Tei looked over with an accomplished grin to the hotel bed as she re-emerged from the bathroom. The towel she'd been using to dry herself simply hung around her shoulders, hardly covering bits and pieces of herself that any other girl would blush over strutting about with exposed. The form of her roommate in the darkness was still quivering and sobbing, curled into a pathetic ball on top if the sheets- just like how she'd left her. She licked her lips as she waltzed over to the bed and crawled up on the mattress and over to who was on the bed.

"Still crying, Miko?" She asked softly, but with a sick grin as she made her way over to her. She leaned over her, each of her hands on either side of the girl below her. Droplets of water from her still damp hair rolled down and silently came to rest against Miko's skin.

Miko, too, was stripped bare -but not because she was fresh out of the shower like Tei- her uniform clutched tightly in her hands. Obviously aware of Tei now looming over her, she curled up into a tighter ball, burying her face against the sheets, as if she were trying to hide while still being in plain sight. Tei lowered her head and nipped the crying girl's ear in a playful way, despite her frightened and broken demeanor. Miko gasped in what could only be described as terror as she tried to jerk away, but to no avail.

"What we've done must have really moved you to tears, I'm so glad." Tei chuckled, licking the skin on her ear she'd just bitten. Face still close to her ear, she dropped her voice to a harsh, smoldering whisper as she said, "Now you truly do belong to me." Miko whined painfully as she squirmed beneath her tormentor, almost as if she could feel Tei's gaze as it traveled down her naked form hungrily. Her eyes settled on the area between Miko's legs, still stained crimson with blood that had yet to completely dry.

"You should clean yourself up before it gets too late." She laughed coldly as she reached down between Miko's legs -the last place she wanted her toughing her again, judging by how she flinched and let out a frightened moan. "You still have a lot of work to do." And after all of her actions that had exuded nothing but harsh cruelty, Tei leaned down and pressed the sweetest of kisses against Miko's tear-stained cheek.

"W-Why...?" Miko finally was able to say, her voice hoarse and wavering, to which Tei only laughed, pulling away from the trembling girl and looking down her with a look of complete satisfaction.

"Didn't I just say?"She asked with a smirk, reaching down and brushing strands of hair hanging in Miko's face away from her cheeks that were damp from crying. "It's because you belong to me."

* * *

"So, you just ran out!?" Much to Miku's surprise, her confession wasn't being met with shock, but with laughter. She gawked at Gumi with nothing but sheer astonishment as she watched the older girl rock with laughter and throw back her head. Had it been how she worded it? She hadn't expected this sort of reaction, that was for sure. The dilemma that had caused her to cry before was now the fuel for Gumi's laughter, that alone was nothing short of shocking.

The two girls were seated outside in the small courtyard that the hotel curled around. Seated underneath a cute little pagoda build on the grounds, surrounded by bushes nearly choked by flowers -the scene could have been extremely romantic had it not been for a few key factors: mainly Gumi's side-splitting laughter that was starting to take her breath away and the fact the courtyard also was bordered by a highway on one side, and the sound of cars whizzing by filled the air along with Gumi's own, hysterical din.

"I don't see what's so funny about all this." She told the laughing girl bitterly, giving her a side glance that oozed frustration. She'd expected Gumi to be holding onto some sort of advice she could give as both her senior and her little known role as Luka's old fling. But, instead, she was getting laughed at, like she'd told a tale of falling flat on her face instead of running out on Luka, filled to the brim with conflicting emotions and nerves.

"I'm sorry... I guess you wouldn't know the reason why all this is so funny." Gumi chuckled, wiping at her eyes as she took a long breath to recompose herself. Miku glowered, silently telling her that, yes, she had no idea what in the world was so funny about what she'd just been through. "Hey, don't give me that look, I'm not laughing to be mean or anything!" She assured her, patting her head as if Miku were a cute little dog.

"Then why are you laughing!?" Miku asked, maybe a little louder than she meant to be.

"It's all just way too familiar, that's all." Gumi sighed with a smile. "It's just... the same thing happened to me and her during our first year, during this same competition. Luka's presence, one on one... it was almost intimidating! We hardly got passed kissing before I started making excuses like 'maybe we should just go to bed so we're well rested for tomorrow' and stuff like that. Of course, I never actually ran out on her!"

"I get it, I get it, that was a stupid thing for me to do." Miku groaned. "But... the same thing really happened to you?"

"Mmm Hmm." Gumi nodded, giving the younger girl a reassuring smile. "I know from experience what was going on in that weird mind of yours, but let me tell you, I regretted and -hell, I still regret pussing out at the last minute. Luka... Luka was special to me, and I let my fears get in the way. If you love her, Miku, you won't do the same thing." She turned to her, resting her hands firmly on her shoulders. "Whatever happens, Luka won't do anything to hurt you, nor will she do anything you don't want her to do. But you can't just run away with your tail between your legs whenever you're faced with something like that!"

"So... what should I do?" Miku asked meekly, looking to Gumi hopefully and feeling a twinge of annoyance as Gumi paused to snort. "Gumi!"

"Sorry, sorry, you're just so helpless in the cutest of ways." She sneered playfully. "What you need to do is go back to that room, march right up to Luka and tell her. 'Take me, Luka! Take me now!'" Had Gumi not gotten up in an over-dramatic fashion and followed up her proclamation with another bout of laughter, Miku wouldn't have been tipped off to the fact that Gumi was just joking around again.

"God, if you're not going to help me..." Miku muttered, getting up off the bench they were sitting on and starting to walk away with an annoyed pout on her face.

"Miku, Miku, come on, can't you take a joke? You need to lighten up!" Gumi laughed as she reached out and pulled her friend back. "But, in all seriousness, you should- hey, is that Ritsu?"

"Gumi..."

"No, no, I'm serious, it's Ritsu!" Gumi reiterated, pointing over Miku's shoulder. "It looks like she's looking for someone."

"So- Hey!" Miku gasped as Gumi pulled her away into the shadow of the bushes surrounding the pagoda. "Gumi, what are we doing!?"

"Come on, you can't tell me you're not a little curious about this girl." Gumi whispered after sharply shushing Miku. "She hasn't told us anything at all, and even though we've spent time with her it's still like we're complete strangers. She obviously is keeping things to herself, and I for one want to at least learn one thing about this chick before this whole competition is through."

"True..." All they really knew about Ritsu was that she had a crush on Gakupo that she denied with a fervor. She was tall, pretty, had the voice of an angel -but all of that was stuff they could find out on their own without Ritsu telling them a single thing. The whole mystery surrounding her person did peek Miku's interest a bit, she couldn't deny it. So, instead of pulling away like she'd been trying to do before, she stayed rooted to the ground, silencing herself as Ritsu walked out onto the pagoda, craning her neck every which-way as if she were eagerly looking for someone. A letter of some sort was clutched in her hand and she was absolutely beaming.

"Gakupo..." she whispered to herself, her voice dripping with joy. But her excitement seemed to melt away instantly as she -as well as Miku and Gumi- heard someone call out to her- someone who clearly wasn't Gakupo. Trying to keep themselves hidden, the two girls peered through the branches of the bush, spying the girl who they'd seen when they got to the hotel that night -the one who wore the cutesy pink sweatshirt over her uniform. She seemed to be walking with a bit of a limp, which was confusing, and it was clear as day that she was conflicted about something and the smile on her face was just a front as she ran over to Ritsu, who didn't seem at all overjoyed to see her. In fact she seemed almost intimidated by this seemingly harmless girl rushing over to see her.

"M-Miko... what are you doing here?" Ritsu stammered, quickly hiding the note behind her back and taking a gratuitous step away from the girl. Miko didn't seem hurt by her obvious discomfort in the least, or rather it seemed like she outright ignored it and continued to advance on Ritsu.

"I... I wanted to see you!" Miko shouted, suddenly speeding up -much to Ritsu's surprise- and took her by both arms, forcing her to come closer. Ritsu didn't fight back, but it sure looked like she wanted to just wrench her arms away from the much-too-eager-seeming girl. "I wanted to see you so much..."

"Miko... we need to stop this! I mean, even back when I attended your school I... I've told you before my heart belongs to someone else!" Ritsu argued, though her voice hardly carried an ounce of harshness as she struggled against Miko's grip, who didn't seem like she wanted to hear what Ritsu had to say at all.

"But... but I love you so much!" She cried. "Please... please..." She seemed hesitant at first, a nervous look on her face as she looked to the ground instead of Ritsu, who her eyes had been glued to before. She tightly shut her eyes, as if bracing herself. "If you don't love me, I'll tell everyone who you really are!"

In a surprising turn of events, Ritsu found the strength to pull away, and even more shocking was what she found the strength to do after that. With a swift swipe, she smacked Miko across her cheek with a force that was strong enough to nearly knock her sideways. The meeker girl stumbled, narrowly catching herself on the guardrail of the pagoda, her cry of surprise and pain ringing in the air, followed by a painful silence.

"Oh... oh my god, Miko! I...I'm so sorry!" Ritsu began to apologize, looking just as shocked as Gumi and Miku were at that moment as she took a step towards Miko, who whimpered in terror as she unsteadily backed away, clutching her face, before the soft sound of her sobbing began to ring through the air. "Miko..."

"Don't you dare touch her with those filthy hands of yours!" An over-dramatized, angry voice pierced the air, and before Miko and Gumi got a chance to peer around the bush, the owner of the voice rushed onto the scene. It was the silver-haired girl, who welcomed the sobbing Miko into her embrace with open arms.

"T-Tei... what..." Ritsu stammered, seeming frightened by this girls mere presence. Tei flat out ignored Ritsu and focused on Miko, crying in her arms.

"Are you even surprised at all, Miko? I've told you over and over again that all men are the same. You'll just get your heart broken in the end." She looked up to Ritsu, finally acknowledging her existence, but only to give her a sly glare as she leaned in, whispering something in Miko's ear. She wiped at her eyes before nodding, leaving the two of them alone to talk.

"How... how did you...?" Ritsu asked, looking horrified.

"Miko tells me a lot of things, just like lovers do. She was quick to tell me all those little secrets of yours when you left her without a second thought and I offered her my love." Tei smirked. "All your little secrets..."

"No!" Ritsu gasped, her voice drowned out by a high-pitched whine echoing from inside -the fire alarm. Immediately, surprised cries from people followed as they began to file outside. Tei took that moment to swiftly run over to Ritsu and catch her by surprise, appearing behind her and twisting one of her arms behind her back. Ritsu cried out in pain, trying to wriggle free.

"Now I'll show them all your lies, and no one -not even your precious Gakupo- will bring themselves to love you!" Tei laughed as her other arm wormed around Ritsu's body, gripping the hem of her skirt.

"Ritsu!" Miku cried, unable to stand idly by and watch in secret. But just as she did, Tei swiftly jerked Ritsu's skirt down, freeing it from her waist and allowing it to fall freely to the ground once she'd pulled it down her thighs. And Miku found herself looking at what every person filling into the courtyard saw -the secret that Ritsu had been trying desperately to hide.

"Look, everyone, look!" Tei announced to the new audience looking at them with a multitude of expressions ranging from shock, to disgust and to laughter. "He can wear a skirt and grow out his hair, wear makeup and all sorts of props to deceive you! But, in the end, Namine Ritsu is nothing but a crossdressing boy!"


	15. Chapter 15: Confessions

Frozen where she stood after she'd leaped from her hiding place, Miku felt herself rooted to the ground as she listened the the murmurs of the crowd before them grow louder and louder with confusion, mocking and disgust. She looked through the crowd, hoping to find sympathetic gazes, but the shock of what Tei had just forced everyone to see left no one feeling sorry for Ritsu, who was standing just as still as Miku. Her -no, _his_eyes were turned to the ground instead of facing the crowd, and his face bore no emotion at all. He was probably just as shocked as everyone else, but in an entirely different way. All he could do was stare down at his skirt that had been freed from his waste blankly, mouth half open as if he was trying to find something -anything- to say.

Tei chuckled- a cruel noise that was hardly heard over the growing din of the crowd gathered in the courtyard of the hotel. But Miku heard it clearly, and a feeling of anger began to coil in her stomach so much it began to ache as she watched as the silver-haired devil released Ritsu and gave him a slight push forward. Ritsu stumbled forward and found himself being tripped by his skirt still loose around his ankles. With a pathetic gasp, he fell to his knees, unable to catch himself as he fell into a messy heap on the ground. Within the crowd, somebody heartily laughed at the display.

Finally, Miku could take no more and, with Gumi close behind her, ran to her friend's side. Girl or boy, it didn't matter, Ritsu was still Ritsu, and seeing him being treated so cruelly was unforgivable. Miku dropped to her knees beside her motionless friend. He'd managed to rise up onto his hands and knees, but he kept his head lowered, his long, red hair obscuring his face. He didn't make a sound or any sort of movement to leave the place full of mocking voices -no, he was completely lifeless, just like a broken doll, and seeing him like that was what hurt Miku the most. She whipped her head around, up towards Ritsu's tormentor who was still standing behind them, looking down at them with a satisfied smirk. Her cold, unfeeling eyes grazed Miku as she gave her flowing, silver locks a victorious flip.

"I'd be careful about the company you keep, girl." She sneered before beginning her decent off of the pagoda. She gave Miku and Ritsu one last, spiteful look over her shoulder, and Miku found herself rising to her feet, more than ready to leap once the girl's back was turned and avenge her friend. But the moment she tensed her legs, ready to leap forward, she felt a firm hand being placed onto her shoulder, stopping her forward charge.

"Miku, don't!" Gumi hissed warningly, giving the younger girl a disapproving gaze. "I know you want to, but right now isn't the time." She looked down at a still motionless Ritsu and Miku did as well, her muscles relaxing as she fell back onto her knees beside her friend. Gumi was right, leaving Ritsu's side to cause more commotion wouldn't be the smartest thing to do. She had to restrain herself, for now at least, for Ritsu's sake. He needed her to be there and not out trying to clobber Tei. Nodding in agreement with Gumi she helped a still soundless Ritsu to his feet as Gumi pulled his skirt back up to his waist. Like two body guards protecting a celebrity, they flanked Ritsu and pushed their way through the crowd, people laughing and jeering at them from all sides until they reached the very back of the group that dissipated just inside the hotel.

"Where should we go?" Miku asked, looking over her shoulder at the other students.

"Maybe we should-" Gumi began to say.

"We can't go back to our rooms, not until the fire department gets here and makes sure everything is alright." The two girl's looked to the side, coming to find Luka, clad in a flowing, black nightgown, a white shawl draped over her shoulders. Miku felt her heart race at the very sight of Luka, and turned her gaze away from her in shame. Luka watched her partner's reaction to her appearance with a troubled look, but decidedly refused to call it to anyone's attention. "And we certainly can't stay here, not with the commotion that snake Tei just made."

"I know a place, it's just around the corner." Gumi chimed in, the tension between the two awkward lovers making even her uncomfortable. "It should be a good place to hide out until all this madness dies down."

* * *

Tei followed the sound of pitiful sobbing that she could hear echoing from an unoccupied side of the hotel. The only other sounds that could be heard were the distant sound of traffic and the uproar of the crowd that had still not gotten over what she had exposed to them. She didn't feel a single shred of regret about it at all- he was the one who made her most precious toy horribly sad. But at the same time, she wasn't moved in the slightest at hearing that same toy's sorrowful cries and as she approached her she did nothing but smile down at her.

There sat Miko, huddled against the outer wall of the hotel, legs drawn up and face buried in her hands. Her sobs would have made anyone else feel awful for her- would have made even the coldest of people want to sit beside her and embrace her warmly- but not Tei. She felt herself grow excited hearing Miko's cries, her breath growing a touch heavier as she watched the crying girl's entire body shake with each loud, painful sob. She didn't inform her of her presence, only waited for her to realize someone was watching her cry, and clearly enjoying it. Only when Miko finally rose her head did Tei finally speak, the smirk never leaving her face as she did so.

"You did so much better than I expected." She laughed, whirling around and taking a seat next to her crying companion, who immediately shrunk away from her. Tei merely responded to this with a laugh and closed the space between them, and before Miko could scoot away a second time she draped an arm over her shoulder and held her firmly in place. Her hand that rested on the quivering girl's shoulder tightened it's grip, taking up a handful of Miko's flowery, pink jacket. A mixture of a gasp and a sob came from Miko as she tugged weakly to try and escape, but to no avail.

"I... I didn't..." she muttered between heavy sobs as big, salty tears fell from her eyes and onto her drawn up knees.

"Oh, but you did, Miko." Tei interrupted in a voice that was a strange mixture of compassionate and sinister as she used her free hand to push back the hood of Miko's jacket that had been drawn up and ran her fingers through her chestnut-brown hair. "You told me specifically, when Ritsu denied your feelings for him, that you wanted him to feel the same. I remember you were crying just like you were now, and I held you in my arms. And where was Ritsu in all this?" Miko lifted her head to answer, taking in a shaky breath and readying her words, but Tei spoke first. "He was chasing after that snob, Gakupo, that's what." The timid girl beside her lowered her head in a shameful manner again, resting her heavy head on her knees. "Why should you care about his feelings when he didn't care about yours?"

"I just... feel so horrible." Miko mumbled against her knees. "After what we did... he probably hates me now!" Her final words gained volume, and for a brief moment Tei was silent. The air was filled only with the sound of Miko's sobs once more.

"And that's probably for the best." The silver-haired girl finally spoke, gaining a shocked reaction from her companion, who jerked her head up to face her.

"W...Why?"

"Why? You ask me WHY!?" It was Tei's turn to speak at a higher volume as she grasped Miko's other shoulder with her free hand and forcing the crying girl around so that they were face to face. The shyer girl shrank backward, flinching and squeezing her eyes shut as her body was twisted around against her will. She expected just about anything, and going by Tei's rather forceful nature she had to assume that whatever it was would hurt her. But instead she was met with the feeling of light pressure against her chest, and in daring to open one of her tightly-shut eyes she came to find Tei was resting her head against her in a strangely gentle way. It was so out-of-character for her, that Miko couldn't bring herself to relax.

"I love you, damn it!" Tei shouted against Miko's bosom. "No matter what I do, though, you're always chasing after that... that BOY!"

"Tei..."

"Do you know how much it hurts... to have someone you love running desperately after someone else who will never love them!?" Tei's voice had become horse, almost as if Tei was... crying! "I figured by now, when you got your revenge, when it's impossible for your feelings to ever be returned by him, that you could... that you could..." Her grip on Miko's shoulders became tighter, and her nails could be felt through Miko's layers of clothing.

"Tei! You're- You're hurting me!" She cried out, and immediately, Tei jerked backward and at the same time pushed Miko back onto the ground, leaving her completely exposed to her for a brief moment. But the silver-haired girl did nothing but stand, not laying another finger on her surprised companion lying in a heap at her feet.

"I'd rather you feel pain!" she shot back with an acidic tone, her hands balled up in tight fists. "I'd rather you hate me or fear me, at least that's something! With Ritsu clouding your mind and vision like it did before... you never felt anything about me at all! I'd rather you feel SOME way about me than you feeling nothing at all!" A choked noise escaped her lips and she threw back her head and grit her teeth, as if she were in pain as she forcefully gulped back what would have followed that tiny noise. "So just tell me how you feel, damn it! Tell me how you feel about me so I can go on knowing I'm in your thoughts, at the very least!"

With a surprising amount of courage, Miko suddenly stood to her feet. She was wiping furiously at her eyes, and her form quivered with each, little sob, but she showed no signs of back down from Tei at all.

"I'm... I'm..." Her words came out shaky and broken at first, all of them nothing but a jumbled mass of hiccups and stray syllables. But finally, somehow, she found her words. "I'm terrified of you, Tei! I never know what you'll do... what you'll make me do... you overpower me, so much that it's suffocating!" Tei stood her ground, furious eyes straying to the side and towards the ground with each word that Miko spoke. "But..." The bolder girl's gaze snapped back upwards at that single, spoken word. "But... I could never hate you, Tei... you were there for me when I needed someone the most! You always lent me a shoulder and an ear when I was upset about Ritsu... and you never pulled away once!"

"Miko, you-"

"You're my closest friend that I have Tei, for better or for worse!" Miko continued, possibly unaware she'd cut Tei off as she continued to ramble without any sense of where or when she should stop. "Doing these things with you makes me feel awful, they make me feel sick to my stomach, but... But I can't help feeling you're doing these things for my own good! Maybe I get so hurt because I'm so weak, and you're only here to make me stronger..." She sniffled one last time before raising her head, meeting Tei's shocked gaze with a surprising amount of strength. Her amber eyes looked back at the other girl unwaveringly for the first time, and it was enough to make even Tei take a single step backward.

"I love you, Tei!"

* * *

Gumi had directed her three friends to a diner a short ways from the hotel, but tucked away within a grouping of other buildings that no one just wandering around the streets that were there for the competition would be able to find easily, which was perfect for Ritsu. Immediately, when they were led to an open table and allowed to sit down, his once near-flawless form dissolved and he slumped against the table. Face resting against the tables wooden surface, he hardly made a sound, and all the other three could do was watch him as the ice cubes in the complementary water that had been brought out began to melt.

All the while, Miku felt absolutely torn between her new friend's dilemma and her own. Every once in a while, she'd cast her gaze over to Luka, who was seated next to her, and it would always happen to be in the same instant Luka would dare to look over at her. And each time, both would immediately look away from one another and turn their attention back to a still soundless, motionless Ritsu, awkwardly. Miku desperately wanted to ask to be excused and ask Luka to come with her so the two of them could settle things, but that would be horribly selfish in the face of her friend's own issue. Unfortunately for the strong feeling of anxiety welling up inside her about it, her problem with Luka would have to wait.

"Ritsu..." Gumi was the one to finally break the silence as she reached out to gently push Ritsu's shoulder, almost like she was testing to see if he was still alive (though with his lack of moving or speaking, he might as well have left the world of the living long ago). The red-head mumbled in response, head still down on the table as he shrunk away from Gumi's touch. She sighed, along with the other two. The night clearly had only just begun, and now they were stuck in a diner, hiding out from mobs of judgmental students with tension, so thick they could taste it, hanging in the air. At the very least, Ritsu could give them a little more than a grumble as a reply. The question all three of them wanted to ask was obvious, it all came down to who could find the right words to ask.

"Ritsu... we're all friends here." Miku finally spoke up, taking a long pause that filled the air with a pregnant silence. It seemed she hadn't completely come up with the right way to say the question that was on everyone's minds, judging by how she opened and closed her mouth several times, leaning over the table and shrinking back in an indecisive manner. Seemed her hesitation was long enough that even Ritsu finally lifted his head, giving her a questioning look with red, puffy eyes, filling her awkward silence with a sniffle. "So... you can tell us... you know... why you... dress the way you do." Not the best way to put it, lacking in eloquence like it was, but it seemed to cause some sort of breakthrough, as Ritsu finally sat up, though he kept his head hung low, refusing to meet the eyes of the other three girls staring at him intently, ready to listen to his tale.

"I've always looked like this." He mumbled, wiping at his running nose with the back of his hand -In the presence of only his friends, in the depressed state that he was in, it seemed he didn't see any need to have any manners. "Ever since I was little, everyone always mistook me for a girl."

"So you just went along with it?" Miku questioned with the tilt of her head. Ritsu shook his, seeming all the more embarrassed he had to explain himself now, judging by the red hue now alighting his cheeks.

"No, I... actually hated it. It got me bullied a lot back when I was in elementary school, to tell the truth. But... then... he showed up." Despite his blush, he seemed to show less discomfort in sharing his history with the girls, a nostalgic smile on his lips as a near-dreamy look filled his gaze still focused on his hands resting in his lap. "It was in the sixth grade, shortly before I was to graduate. I'd already made plans to transfer to a school where no one would know me, cut my hair and live my life as a boy and not as the girly looking boy everyone teased. Except, before I had the chance, I was jumped by a pretty adamant group of bullies who had it out me since my first year of school. Maybe they realized that would be one of their last chances to bully me, seeing as they had gotten pretty violent that day. They ripped my clothes, pulled my hair... even thinking about it now gives me chills."

"Then what?" Miku felt the need to ask, seeming the most captivated out of the other three. Gumi and Luka sat with their backs against the cushioned seat, but Miku was leaning over the table, like Ritsu was weaving some epic tale of some sort.

"I... I got rescued by this... wonderful boy. Judging by his uniform, he was in middle school and a pretty prestigious one at that, and like a knight in shinning armor he actually fought all of them off. That was the last time they or anyone else bothered me, now that I recall, and I have him to thank. He helped me to my feet and... I remember, his hand was so soft and warm..." Ritsu gently grasped at his right hand, remembering the comforting touch. "I was just filled with feelings I never felt before. Even though he was a boy and I was a boy... I guess you could call it love at first sight."

"Wow, it sounds like a real love story." Gumi mused, nodding her head. "You two hit it off?"

"No, actually... the opposite. That would be the last time I would see him for years, but his presence had been so overwhelming, even after all those years, looking back on that moment made my heart race. I wanted to meet him again, desperately, but I already had a school chosen, and I never got his name. And... the entire time, he addressed me as 'miss' and treated me like I was actually a girl. I knew he probably would never feel the same way if he knew, so, after that, I dedicated my life to living as a girl instead of a boy, just in case I ran into him one day. He wouldn't have any interest in a boy, but a girl, I'm sure..."

"But wait, what about Gakupo!? Don't you have a big crush on- Oh! Oooooh!" Miko gasped, suddenly rising from her seat. "I get it now, the boy was Gakupo, wasn't it!?" Ritsu didn't respond, but his deepening blush and deeply bowing his head in embarrassment gave it away.

"Miku, sit down, you're making people stare!" Gumi hissed, beckoning the younger girl to join them back down on the seat.

"I finally got to meet him last year in my first year of high school during this very competition." Ritsu explained. "You can't imagine... being able to meet the person you admire and love the very most after years of hoping to find them."

"It's like you've finally found a real reason to live, isn't it?" Luka asked, casting a quick look to Miku, who caught it and gave Miku a warm look in return. "Like you finally found that one answer you've been looking for." Miku felt a soothing feeling begin to fill her, like warm sunlight -but she chose not to say anything and turned back to Ritsu. She did, however, rest her hand discretely on Luka's lap as Ritsu continued to speak.

"Y-Yes, just like that!" He nodded enthusiastically, finally meeting their eyes. "There he was, finally, after all those years! Now I knew his name, where he attended school and that he loved to sing, just like me! He even spoke to me after my performance but... he didn't seem to recognize me like I did him. But when he shook my hand, that warm feeling was the exact same as it had been years ago. I wasn't going to let him slip away, not again. So, after that, I immediately began plans to transfer."

"Then... what about that girl, Miko and her... friend?" Gumi dared to ask, and it robbed Ritsu of the dreamy look in his eyes.

"Miko knew me in elementary school, and was my only friend. She followed me to middle school and then into high school, but... even when I decided to embrace my girlish looks, she still refused to see me as nothing more than a boy... and I knew from the time we entered middle school she had feelings for me... but I didn't know how to tell her I loved someone else -a boy who I didn't know the name of at that. So I foolishly let her live in the fantasy that we'd grown so close that we were unspeakably a couple." He shook his head, as if he were inwardly scolding himself for doing such a thing. "Before I transferred, she poured out her feelings to me. They were so heartfelt and sad but... I couldn't return them, so I ended up turning her down. I've never seen her so sad..."

"And what about Tei?" Gumi asked. "Where did that little troll come in?"

"She took a liking to Miko when we both entered high school and it's choir club. I could tell without her saying anything she didn't really like me, being the one who Miko had feelings for instead of her, no matter what she did for her and with her... I had no idea what lengths she would go to after I was gone, I had no idea she would..." His voice caught, a sad sounding whimper escaping him as he hung his head again, very close to resting it back on the table as he hid his head in his hands. "Now what am I going to do? Everyone knows now... including Gakupo. Now... I don't care what anyone else thinks, but now he'll never love me, now that he knows what I am! What in the world am I supposed to do now that everyone knows?"

"You can start by getting up and getting back to the hotel. Students aren't supposed to leave to do whatever they feel like this time of night." A new voice suddenly cut in, causing everyone, including Ritsu, to look up in surprise. Ritsu especially looked overwhelmingly taken aback by who was standing beside the table, looking down at them with a chiding look in their eyes. His mouth hung open as he pushed himself farther back into the booth, heart beating powerfully in his chest.

"G-Gakupo!" The four of them gasped nearly all at once.

"You heard me, you all sneaking around after that fire alarm will get our choral group in deep trouble if any teachers catch you hanging out here." He continued, keeping his usual, cold tone. "Get back to the hotel before anyone notices you aren't accounted for." The three girls looked among one another nervously, then over to Ritsu who seemed petrified before they began to shuffle out of the booth, avoiding not to bush against Gakupo, who watched them begin to leave. Ritsu, too, began to shuffle out of his seat, but before he could, Gakupo hit him with a chilling stare.

"Not you, there's still something I want to discuss with you..." He looked over to the other three who had stopped in their tracks, taking poses like they were getting ready to jump Gakupo as if he were about to attack poor, defenseless Ritsu. "...Alone!" They shared concerned looks with one another, but there was really nothing they could do. Arguing to stay there would do them no good -what he said was true, after all. Their being there could get them and their entire club into heaps upon heaps of trouble. So, bidding Ritsu a worrisome goodbye, they filled out of the diner, leaving him and Gakupo alone.

"I-I'm sorry!" Ritsu suddenly burst out, standing up in the booth, jostling the table a bit and bowing apologetically before his club senior, his flame-red hair flying over his shoulder and in his face as he did so. "I...I caused so many problems... I should have just been honest with you all from the start... I take full responsibility for the trouble that was caused-" With a flinch, Ristu looked up to find Gakupo was no longer standing beside the booth, and instead was sliding in the seat across from him, hailing down a tired waitress. Still hunched over in a bow, Ritsu looked on in confusion as Gakupo casually ordered a coffee for himself -black, of course- and another for Ritsu.

"U-Um..."

"Sit down, you look ridiculous standing around like that." Gakupo told him bluntly, and the younger, effeminate boy obliged him, sinking back into the seat below him. He lowered his gaze, letting it rest on the table, where he nervously traced the wood grain pattern with his eyes.

"I'm sorry-"

"Why do you keep apologizing? It's obvious you didn't pull the fire alarm or chose to make a spectacle of yourself."

"Then... why did you ask me to stay?" Ritsu questioned, raising his gaze an inch, having it fall on Gakupo's mouth.

"To talk, of course. Honestly, everyone always assumes that all I do is scold people." Gakupo sighed, leaning back in his seat. "So you can loosen up, you aren't in any trouble."

"T-Talk? To me?" Ritsu questioned, now looking up into Gakupo's deep, purple eyes shyly, like an apologetic puppy.

"Yes, is that so unheard of?" Gakupo asked him. Ritsu wordlessly shook his head, and despite his intentions simply to talk, the two of them remained relatively silent for a long while. The only thing the either of them said was to thank the waitress for the coffee they were eventually served. Gakupo gulped his down, but Ritsu left the dark liquid untouched to go cold in front of him. Setting an empty cup down in front of him, Gakupo was finally the first to actually speak.

"So, you're the 'girl' who I saved back what I was in middle school. How strange, it's like fate brought us together again." A soft chuckle escaped his lips, and Ritsu was surprised to find that he was even slightly smiling. "And, wouldn't you know it, you're being bullied again. I guess things really don't change, huh?"

"N-No, I guess they don't." Ritsu gave a weak chuckle in response, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm just an easy target that way, huh?" Another short silence followed as Ritsu sat up and forced himself to look Gakupo in the eye. Now that everything had been said and done, he had to say it, no matter how much the answer he could get would hurt. He took a long, deep breath, closing his eyes like he was trying to find his center, before staring Gakupo down again.

"I... ever since we first met, I really admired you, Gakupo. I always hoped that I'd get the chance to see you again... to be honest, you're all I've been able to think about all these years." He fidgeted nervously where he sat, feeling his face heat up. It was getting harder and harder to look Gakupo in the eye, partially because of his nervousness, but also because his vision was starting to blur from troublesome tears that had begin to gather. "I've dreamed of this moment, where it would be just you and me talking but... not like this, not with you knowing the truth about me. It... it probably disgusts you, that a boy can feel this way about another boy, so much that he'll turn himself into a woman to deceive the boy they like into... liking them back. But... no matter how you feel about me now... my feelings are never going to change!" Ritsu couldn't take it any more, and quickly averted his eyes, tears now spilling out of them. The salty rivers streamed down his cheeks and collected as his chin, dripping down in big drops and splashing against his lap. "I...I love you, Gakupo." He squeezed his eyes shut, readying himself for the worst. He was probably shocked and was probably freaked and grossed out by his feelings! He probably couldn't look at him, and he dared not open his eyes to see what he feared to be true.

A familiar, warm feeling grazed his tear-stained cheek -a feeling he'd kept locked away in his mind, hoping to feel it again: the feeling of Gakupo's soft hands touching his skin. His eyes snapped open, stray tears that had clung to his lashes flying into the air as he came to find Gakupo wiping at one of his cheeks, nothing but warmth in his usually cold eyes. Seeing that and feeling his touch only seemed to cause even more tears to flow from Ritsu's eyes.

"W-why-?"

"You're an amazing person, Ritsu, I really must admit. Your talent is something I've never heard before, and... to be quite honest, I haven't been able to get that song you sung last year out of my head once I heard it." He admitted to a surprised Ritsu, who was a quick step away from pinching himself to check to see if he wasn't dreaming all this up. "I secretly had considered trying to get you to transfer myself at times, wanting you to join our choir club... To be quite honest, though, wanting you to be in our choir club led to me simply... wanting you."

"You... you can't be serious!" Ritsu gasped.

"What, do you think I'm kidding?" Gakupo asked in an annoyed tone before shaking his head. "I mean everything I say, Ritsu, and whether or not you're a boy doesn't change the way I feel about you. I've never felt anything like this before, not even for my own parents. This warmth I can't even describe burns in my chest whenever I remember your singing and it just fills me with longing to hear it again." While Gakupo spoke, Ritsu found himself reaching up and resting his hand against Gakupo's, who was now looking -of all things- unsure about the words he was about to say. "I've tried to disregard it as all sorts of things, I've had a year and then some to try and convince myself what I feel right now is something else, but I always am led to the same... frightening -and at the same time, comforting conclusion."

"Gakupo..." The words danced off Ritsu's tongue as it felt like his heart would beat right out of his chest. No doubt the heat radiating from his cheeks was burning the older boy's hand.

"...And that conclusion is... That I love a boy with a voice of an angel, and with looks to match it." Gakupo's gaze wavered, but he was quick to catch himself and stare intensely at Ritsu. "I think... I love you, too, Ritsu."

* * *

Now, in the privacy of their own room, Luka and Miku were now focused on their own problems. There was still a twinge of worry about their friend still back at the diner with the stern and scary Gakupo, but it wasn't like he was going to hurt the poor boy, or anything. At the very most, he'd get a scathing talking to, that was all. So, the realization he would be safe -for the most part- left them to zero in on the dilemma of their own. Once they arrived back in their hotel room, Miku leaned against the door in an almost exhausted state, heaving a sigh as she slid down the surface slightly.

"Miku?" Luka questioned, stopping to turn around to face her disheartened lover.

"Luka... I'm sorry." Miku muttered in a guilty tone, looking down at the carpet. "...for running out earlier, I mean. I... I was just..." She felt the warmth of Luka's hands grasp at her own and she snapped her head up to find Luka standing before her, smiling warmly at her as if nothing was wrong.

"Please, don't apologize. I should have known you'd be nervous, I shouldn't have been so eager to... you know." she looked to the side, blushing a bit. "I can wait until you're ready, even if it takes an eternity. You're worth it, after all." She looked back at her companion, giving her a friendly smile. A smile that was quickly covered up by Miku's own lips as she stood on her tip-toes to plant a firm kiss against Luka's reassuring smile. Luka moaned softly, kissing Miku back at first before pulling away.

"M-Miku!" She exclaimed, her cheeks flushed.

"I can't be afraid about this forever, Luka... I hate being a coward about something I know I won't regret. If it's you... I shouldn't be so scared about it. I mean, there's nothing to be scared of!" Miku told her, moving her hands and wrapping them around Luka's waist, while the pink-haired girl did the same. The two of them seemed to be in a lovesick daze now, a few more kind exchanges more from going back to kissing one another. "If it's for you, Luka, I'll do anything, even face my fears of giving myself entirely to you!"

"Miku..." Luka sighed as the two of them, almost like they were reading the others mind, began to drift closer to one another. "Are... you sure?"

"Yes, I've never been more sure!" Miku told her, and before any more words could be said between them the two of them became locked in a passionate kiss. Lips pressed longingly against one another, it wasn't long before they parted, making way for tongues as the two slowly, and clumsily made their way over to the bed, not once pulling away from one another until Miku felt herself being pushed against one of the corners of the mattress. Finally, they parted lips, a string of saliva being all that connected them before breaking. The two girl's panting was the only sound that filled the room as they looked deep into each others' eyes. A thousand words were shared between the two of them simply with a gaze as Luka slowly lowered Miku onto the firm mattress of the bed. Without a word, Luka crawled on top of the younger girl, kissing her lips again, but then moving down to her neck and even further down as she loosened her uniform a bit, lips grazing Miku's collar bone.

"Luka..." Miku sighed happily, willingly lifting her arms as she felt the older girl begin to pull the shirt of her uniform from off of her body, leaving her undergarments exposed. For once, the conditioned response to cover herself didn't occur to her as Luka went one step further and unhooked Miku's bra and brushed it aside. Luka took a moment to gaze down at her lover's petite body before leaning down to kiss at one of the small lumps of flesh on her chest. Miku shivered with pleasure at this, feeling Luka's soft lips against her breast.

"I love you, Miku." Luka paused to whisper, her hot breath caressing Miku's exposed skin.

"I love you, too, Luka." Miku responded lovingly. And she knew, no matter what happened that night, that those feelings weren't going to change.


	16. Chapter 16: Choices

Ritsu awoke buried under the white sheets of a hotel bed wrapped in a warm embrace. In the brief, hazy moment of still being half asleep, he felt incredibly safe waking up to a world of wrinkled white and comforting warmth. However, the heat around him climbed in the form of him blushing as he found his hands running down the lightly-muscled chest of some shirtless person next to him as he reached out. Once blurred vision now gave way to heightened clarity as he opened his eyes wide to take in the vision he came to find before him. Still comfortably sleeping, tussled violet hair hanging in his face and arms still firmly holding his once sleeping companion in place was Gakupo. Ritsu hardly had time to stop himself from letting out a surprised gasp as he reflexively tried to free himself, mostly out of some form of shy embarrassment. Not daring to look down any further than Gakupo's chest, he came to the conclusion the older boy embracing him had shed his clothes during the night and was completely, shamelessly nude. And if the feeling of skin rubbing against skin below their waists was any clue, it seemed that Ritsu himself was just as bare.

Had he been so bold as to do something like this with Gakupo the night before!? It all was a haze to him, at least in his freshly-woken-up, panicking state. The events of last night seemed like a dream, in that he could only remember bits and pieces. Him and Gakupo has spoken for hours, it felt like, at the diner, until the older boy suggested to return to the hotel. They'd exchanged kind words when they returned, and, from what he remembered, they'd prepared to return to their own, separate rooms but- oh dear, now he remembered, just as Gakupo began to leave, he'd reached out and drew him back to him in a fashion that was much more courageous than anything he'd ever done. It was almost as if his violet-haired hero was expected it all along, seeing as Ritsu clearly remembered his movements to be fluid as he turned back to him, giving him the most handsome smile that nearly made him melt right there on the spot -heck, even remembering it now made his head swim! And then, they'd... they'd... The blush Ritsu had been proudly wearing only grew deeper as he remembered the soft-yet-firm feeling of Gakupo's lips against his, and the image that went through his mind was something he figured would come straight out of a fairy tale: A noble, handsome prince bestowing a loving kiss on the lips of his princess. Or in this case, another prince, just a more feminine looking one.

"Are you always this energetic when you wake up?" Ritsu twitched in surprise as he looked up to find Gakupo was looking back at him with open, half-lidded eyes, still slowly coming out of his sleeping state. He must have been referring to the fact that Ritsu had been fidgeting incessantly, and that was probably what caused him to finally wake up. Stuttering, stammering and tripping over every word he tried to say to possibly begin, Ritsu fumbled for anything to tell the overwhelmingly attractive, god of a boy (in his eyes at least, and in this specific moment in time especially) but before he could get his bearings, the embrace he'd been working to free himself from tightened as Gakupo pulled the now captive Ritsu closer. It was obviously clear that he didn't find the situation they were in as embarrassing as Ritsu did, whose gaze jumped from place to place shyly, each time avoiding the older boy's eyes that were focused on him.

"I...I..." Ritsu muttered, now close enough that every time he breathed in, he smelled nothing but the alluring scent that clung to Gakupo's body. It was even harder to form words now, what with being so close to Gakupo now. Let alone he was still slowly piecing together what steps they'd taken to end up in the same bed, clothes discarded elsewhere. But now, the fact he could feel the heat rising from the lower half of Gakupo's body that his own body was now forcefully pressed against was painfully clear and it certainly wasn't helping him process even the simplest of thoughts. "I'm sorry, I just-"

"You apologize too much." Gakupo interrupted, and in a dizzying display rolled over, so that he was positioned right above Ritsu, his hair falling over his shoulders and brushing against Ritsu's face and neck. "There's nothing for you to be sorry for."

"I-I know... I guess it's a habit..." Ritsu muttered, eyes focused to the side of him, on his pillow. But, with a slight touch, Gakupo effortlessly drew the younger boy's gaze back to him, gently running his fingers under his chin and moving up until he was cradling one of Ritsu's heated cheeks in his hand. Shyly, Ritsu looked back at him, gazing up at his deep-purple eyes as he felt the older boy's hand shift slightly against his face, fingers stretching out the brush strands of his red hair that had fallen over his face. Ever so slowly, Gakupo leaned down, his face drawing closer and closer to Ritsu's, until the younger of the two could feel the other's hot breath caress the part of his own face Gakupo's mouth was headed: his own, trembling lips.

"G-Gakupo-"

"Hush." Gakupo whispered, successfully and effortlessly convincing the younger boy below him to grow silent. And with one last, swift movement, after having bidden his time before, he pressed his lips against Ritsu's. At first, he was gentle, as to not startle the younger boy, but the longer his lips merely brushed against his, the more the shyer of the two began to silently ask for him to continue in deeper. This deeper, more courageous kiss was interrupted, however, by the sound of someone lightly knocking at the door, followed by the sound of harsh whispers from outside in the hall, followed by a louder knock that finally forced the two of them to break the kiss and free themselves from the cavern of sheets they'd been hiding under. Ritsu squinted as sunlight streaming in from the window fell on them, covering his eyes and groaning in a tired fashion as Gakupo rolled off of him, not even bothering to hide the annoyance on his face over having been interrupted.

"If that's your friends wondering where you are, I'm not even going to bother..." He muttered as he picked his pants from up off the floor, slipping into them as he walked over to the door. Ritsu shyly looked away, cheeks alight after having caught a quick glimpse of Gakupo and all of his glory moments before he began stepping into his pants. He attempted to sit up and follow Gakupo to the door until he got a refresher of just how naked he was. Instead, he pulled the sheets around his naked form feebly as he looked about for his uniform on the floor. But his search was postponed as he heard Gakupo greet whoever was at the door with a tone that was icy enough to send a shiver of fear up Ritsu's spine.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, followed by a pause from whoever was at the door -obviously just as caught off guard with how chillingly cold Gakupo had spoken.

"We're here to see Ritsu." The shiver that ran up Ritsu's spine at hearing Gakupo speak in verbalized needles was nothing in comparison to the whole body shiver he felt when he heard the person at the door respond. At the door was the figurative monster who had exposed his secret to everyone the night before, and now she was back, no doubt, in Ritsu's mind, to torment him a second time. Defensively, he threw the entire sheet over his body, like a small child protecting himself from shadowy creatures in the dark.

"Don't you think you two have done enough?" Gakupo reported, to which the silver-haired devil in the doorway retorted with a frustrated groan.

"Do you really think we're here to do anything, idiot?"

"I wouldn't put it passed you." Gakupo responded in an even tone that almost seemed to mock how quickly Ritsu's tormentor had gotten riled up. "And I think that last statement was a case of the pot calling the kettle black."

"Look here, you son of a bitch-!" The would-be angry tirade was brought to an abrupt halt by a much softer voice that hardly reached Ritsu from beneath the sheets: the voice of the fallen angel that had given into the demon's horrible temptation.

"Tei, please don't fight with him!" Miko's timid voice cracked a bit as she struggled to raise it above her companions bellowing. And it was surprising to Ritsu how those tiny words actually caused Tei to pause and stop her attack mid-word, punctuating the incomplete sentence with a low, grudgingly-obliging grumble. Since when did she had the power to do something like that!? Curiosity overcoming fear, he poked his head from out of his shield of sheets and, wrapping the thin cloth around his body, he cautiously padded over to the door. "We... we just want to talk to Ritsu... that's all."

There was Miko in the doorway, hand holding Tei's arm in what could hardly described as a firm grip. And, a rare sight at best, her hood she usually had drawn up was now loosely hanging around her shoulders, leaving her head she usually kept hidden under it exposed. She wore the same, unsure expression, like she was perpetually sorry for something, but something about her now seemed to glow beneath her shy exterior. And as she spoke of simply wanting to speak to him, her eyes fell on him as he sneaked into her line of vision, and a mixture of sorrow and happiness spread across her face.

"Just to talk... nothing else." she repeated, but now it was as if those words were directed towards Ritsu, who was looking back at her and her silver-haired companion cautiously, like he was approaching two bloodthirsty predators rather than two school girls.

"I'm not even sure if he even wants to see you, after what you did." Gakupo responded before Ritsu could say anything- It seemed he had yet to feel Ritsu creeping up behind him.

"I-" Miko began to retort before shaking her head. "...Maybe he doesn't, I know what I did was wrong and..." She looked to Tei, giving her arm the lightest of tugs.

"Yeah, yeah, what I did was wrong, too." She muttered.

"Excuse me if I don't believe you actually think that." Gakupo responded, acid on his tongue. Tei returned his words with a glare and a threatening step forward, but nothing more.

"Please believe her, we both know what we did was horrible, and we'll do everything we can to try and fix this... me especially." Miko said, her voice shaking as her eyes fell on Ritsu again, who looked back at her in surprise. "This whole mess... it's all my fault anyway. I was so focused on what I wanted, I didn't even bother to see I was hurting everyone around me. I put strain on someone who didn't even belong to me and turned a blind eye to someone who cared... in her own way, anyway. Tei just wanted for me to see the mistake I was making, but I guess I was so blinded by my selfishness I didn't see how far things got until it was too late. Now... Now I..."

"Oh, god, you aren't going to cry, are you?" Tei questioned in a mix of annoyance and worry over the fact that, yes, Miko was unsuccessfully holding back tears.

"I'm sorry... I... I just..." Miko sobbed, wiping her eyes on the pink sleeve of her hoodie. "I'm afraid I might have lost the trust of one of my closest friends, and that he'll never forgive me for what I did!"

"He-" Gakupo began, before Ritsu finally cut in, stepping out beside him to reach out and rest a hand on Miko's quivering shoulder while his other kept the sheet wrapped around himself. She jumped, and Tei reacted defensively, beginning to pull her back and put herself in front of the crying girl, but Miko made a tiny motion for her to stop, pulling back on her arm slightly, just enough to her her attention. Gakupo said nothing, only looked on with a proud look in his eyes -he certainly hadn't expected him to face his demons so early on.

"You... what you did was horrible, Miko, I'm not going to deny that but-" He began.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Miko cut in desperately, to which Ritsu chuckled, moving his hand from her shoulder to the top of her head. She jumped a bit before raising her tear-filled gaze up to him with a look that made him wonder whether or not she still didn't have those misguided feelings for him, but she said nothing to otherwise hint at it.

"Let me finish, alright?" Ritsu asked with a smile, and Miko nodded, guiltily. "That was horrible but... I'm not going to never forgive you for it. You're my friend Miko, no matter what crazy stunt you pull, and you'll always be my friend. You'll just never be, you know... my lover."

"Yeah... I think I'm going to have to accept that now, huh?" Miko gave an uncomfortable laugh, averting her eyes for a brief moment before bringing herself to look back at him again. "I think I'll be fine, though." Ever so slightly, she sidled closer to Tei, who gave a look like she was forcing herself to look like she wasn't caring about what was going on. Ritsu regarded it with a smile as he removed his hand from atop Miko's head.

"I'm glad." He told her, giving the once terrifying silver-haired demon beside her a trusting look.

"What are you looking at, crossdresser?" She asked him harshly, turning up her nose but not being able to summon up the sort of acidic, threatening tone she once spoke in flawlessly before.

"Nothing, nothing." Ritsu shrugged. He wanted to tell her a lot of things, mostly to take good care of Miko, but those sorts of words would be wasted on her, and she would most likely return them with something needlessly sharp. She had been a monster to him, but he was sure she would be a monster to anyone else who dared hurt Miko, and lovingly hard on her.

"After this competition..." Miko choked out, her voice wavering just a bit, followed by her rubbing at her eyes again, one last time. She drew in a breath before pulling her damp sleeve away from her eyes, now filled with a strength she was pulling from somewhere deep inside her. Even Ritsu couldn't help but stare back at those eyes with legitimate surprise. "...The next time you see me, I'm going to be much, much stronger."

"I don't doubt that." Ritsu grinned. "I'll wait for that day." A seconds-long silence was shared between the two of them, where thousands of unspoken words were said, but before they could exchange even more, Tei stepped in impatiently, crossing between Ritsu and Miko and heaving an annoyed sigh.

"Come on, we don't have all day, Miko. We still need to get practice in before the competition where we're going to grind these guys into the dust." She grunted.

"R-right." Miko nodded, giving Ritsu one last, warm smile before she followed after Tei.

"Hey, Tei!" Ritsu called out before they traveled any farther.

"What do you want now?" She groaned, throwing a look over her shoulder.

"...Thanks."

"Don't thank me, freak! And get some clothes on, it's fucking awkward to think you're naked under that sheet!" Tei called out before she turned back to a surprised, blushing Miko who hadn't even realized the entire time Ritsu had, in fact, been nude.

"Do you really think she's going to be alright?" Gakupo asked, watching the two girls leave over Ritsu's shoulder. Ritsu was quiet for a moment, noticing how much warmth there was in Miko's gaze as she looked, wide-eyed, at Tei and smiled, relieved.

"Yeah." He sighed, taking one last look before heading back into the room. "I think she's going to be just fine."

* * *

Miku's head was still swimming as she sat in the hotel dining hall that was slowly filling with people still tired from the night before -most still clad in their pajamas. She held a warm, steaming styrofoam cup of coffee in her hands, the dark, heated liquid giving off a slightly uncomfortable heat through to her hands, but all she could do was hold the cup and languidly swish the coffee within in circles. All she was completely focused on was Luka, who had brought her the coffee to wake her up, and now was working on gathering food from the complementary buffet that had been set up.

After the night before, it was as if she was seeing Luka in a whole new, dazzling light. Every movement seemed so much more sensual, and every curve of her body seemed pleasingly enhanced. It was almost as if the older girl was performing some sort of sultry dance before Miku's eyes, when in reality all she was doing was hopping between the small selection of fruit and the hotplates their waffles were cooking in. She watched, completely enamored, as her hips swished slightly from side to side from underneath her clothes as she moved back and fourth, and as she compulsively pushed a strand of hair back behind her ear that continued to slip out of place, briefly exposing her jawline. Miku had always thought of Luka as beautiful -much more dazzling that the stars themselves- but now that she'd truly explored that beauty- and that beauty had equally explored her- it was almost like she'd transformed into something much more captivating. And as she turned around, noticing that Miku's eyes were cemented to her, she returned it with a smile that warmed Miku much more than the scalding-hot coffee could. She blushed lightly, eyes darting to the wooden grain of the table as if Luka's lovely gaze truly would melt her before looking back up and returning the smile with one of her own.

"Well aren't you just all smiles." A familiar voice broke Miku from her trance as she looked up to find Gumi standing right beside her, hand rested on her chair as she lazily propped herself up. She was partially dressed in her uniform, the ribbon that was normally tied to the collar held in her other hand and her shorts she'd worn the other night taking the place of the uniform's skirt. Everyone around them seemed to be getting serious about the competition now -friendly, idle chatter from the other night replaced by talking about missing sheet music and reminders about cues from the conductor- but compared to them, Gumi seemed so relaxed they might as well have already won.

"Y-Yeah, I guess." Miku shrugged as the green-haired girl leaned closer, a catty grin on her face as she more closely observed the younger girl's love-struck demeanor. "U-Um..."

"Naughty girl, I bet you didn't get much sleep." Gumi teased, her breath colliding with the steam rising from the coffee Miku was still holding and blowing it against her already heated cheeks. "I hope you didn't fall asleep in the nude, or you'll catch a cold."

"Hey! G-Gumi, don't say that so loud!" Miku gasped, nearly dropping her hot drink as she attempted to reach out and cover her friend's wide grin with an open hand. Gumi chuckled as she leaned just out of her reach, playfully spinning around a few times before her path was blocked by someone else and she ran into them elbow first. At first, Gumi seemed overwhelmingly apologetic, mouth open and ready to form the first syllables of a sorry, before she realized it was Kaito, who was nursing the area of his gut Gumi's elbow had struck.

"Geeze, are you always this hyper in the morning?" He grunted, and Gumi merely shrugged, something about her growing standoffish and cold now that Kaito was around.

"What's so wrong with being a little energetic, huh?" she asked him, taking one last, needless spin in place before she took a seat next to Miku, who was currently trying to focus on convincing herself Kaito didn't exist and hoping he didn't speak to her. It had been a while ago that he'd involved himself in Neru's schemes, but she wasn't exactly all for simply letting the fact he'd been involved with blackmailing her go so easily. Giving him the silent treatment was the least of the things she could do in response to his treachery.

"What's wrong with Miku?" Seemed he at least got the hint that she wasn't enthusiastic about speaking to him, seeing as he was asking Gumi what was wrong with her like she wasn't a step and a half away from him, perfectly in earshot.

"She's busy being lovesick, don't mind her." Gumi said with a casual wave, as if it where no big deal.

"Gumi!" Miku exclaimed blushingly, her words coming out in a bit of a whine as she turned to the green-haired girl leaning back casually in her seat. "Please..."

"What, it's the truth." She shrugged. "You really should just take to rubbing in Kaito's face the fact you have a smoking hot girlfriend more often."

"I'm still standing here, I hope you know." Kaito grumbled.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Oh, looks like most of the gang is here." Luka spoke cheerily as she walked over with two plates of food for her and Miku -but Gumi felt she was inclined to take one of the apples cradled on the inside of Luka's elbow. She scolded her friend softly, telling her to get her own, but didn't make the motion to take the fruit back. Miku was all smiles now that her goddess was in their presence and now sitting on the other side of her. Almost unconsciously the two of them scooted their chairs closer to one another, their knees now touching underneath the table. Miku feared her cheeks would never cool as she felt the silky smooth sensation of one of Luka's slender legs rub up against her own.

"S-So, are you guys ready for the performance?" Miku felt compelled to say to try to cover up the fact her breath hitched the moment Luka's skin caressed her own.

"Well we are, but what about you two?" Gumi questioned, throwing a not-so-pleased look as Kaito took a seat beside her without bothering to ask. "Meiko wants you guys to sing THAT song again." THAT song referred to the song Miku and Luka had sung during the first concert. Out of their past pieces, Miss Meiko had decided that certain solo piece would be fitting for the competition, putting a little more pressure on Miku and Luka than before.

"Just don't add in that whole kissing part, alright?" Miku clearly remembered Miss Meiko ask them when she brought up them singing the song at the competition.

"I think we'll be fine." Luka answered before Miku could say anything, hand slowly snaking around the younger girl's waist and pulling her a little closer as if the display of affection would prove on a higher level that the two of them were ready to preform. "Me and Miku have been practicing, so we really shouldn't have much of a problem."

"I hope so, or else Gakupo will have a total cow." Gumi groaned, reaching over again, rudely snatching away a finger full of Miku's waffle. "...Speaking of which, I wonder where he is... and where Ritsu is."

"Oh, Ritsu? You guys see what happened last night?" Kaito asked, sounding levels of excited he really shouldn't have been over the incident that had happened the night before. "That was insane, I never would have imagined that Ritsu was a-"

"Yes, we saw, we were there." Gumi told him bluntly, rolling her eyes. "What we're worried about is that Gakupo had a talk with him last night all alone, and we haven't seen him since."

"I really hope he was easy on the poor boy. Getting scolded by the person you like is sure to be rough." Luka sighed, smacking Gumi's hand before she could steal more food. "Especially if you take into account how harsh Gakupo is."

"Yeah, he is, but what's the 'person you like' part all about?" Kaito questioned, but Gumi waved her hand in front of his face, silently letting him note it really wasn't any of his business. Kaito leaned away from her swatting, seeming insulted he was being left out of the loop.

"I'm sure Gakupo didn't dig at him too hard." Miku said hopefully, thought there was doubt about that in her mind. This was Gakupo, after all. She could be dying from some unknown disease and he'd still find reason enough to scathingly critique her. "He had a rough night, and even someone like Gakupo must have some capacity for kindness."

"Ha! That's the most hilarious thing I think I've ever heard you say!" Gumi guffawed, throwing her head back, as well as leaning back in her seat as she let loose an over-exaggerated belly laugh. "Gakupo actually being nice to people! That's rich!"

"Excuse me, but what's rich?" The sudden appearance of the very person Gumi had been laughing about in her line of vision almost caused her to fall over backwards in her chair. With a gasp she grasped at the table, it's legs loudly scrapping across the floor as she pulled herself forward before looking back at the violet-haired boy with a surprised look just like everyone else at the table. He was wearing his uniform rather loosely- a first even for the three third-year students sitting at the table. The jacket of his uniform and his tie were cradled in one of his arms, leaving him wearing only the dress shirt worn underneath the jacket, a few buttons left undone to expose his defined collarbone. But that wasn't the most surprising part, though seeing Gakupo dressed even the least bit sloppily was cause for confusion. Behind him, almost like he was trying to hide from the onlooking four, was Ritsu, holding Gakupo's free hand. He met their eyes shyly, before looking down at the ground and shuffling his feet.

"U-Um..." None of the four had the slightest clue of how to respond, but Miku was the first to speak up. "So... how did last night... go?" It sounded less awkward in her head, but it was only made more so when neither boy answered, and Ritsu's blush intensified. He shuffled behind Gakupo a little more, trying to hide himself behind the older boy who was just as silent, but less ashamed of what both their actions were implying had happened after the three girl's had left.

"OH MY GOD!" Gumi exclaimed, pointing accusingly at the both of them. "You... you two... OH MY GOD!" It was impossible to tell is she was happy or shocked about it all, but at the very least she had a smile on her face.

"Not so loud!" Ritsu gasped, looking around as he realized her exclamation was drawing attention of everyone in the dining hall. He heard a few, scattered whispers about sightings of the "boy-girl" and drew closer to Gakupo, who in tern wrapped a comforting arm around him.

"Is there something wrong, Gumi?" Gakupo asked her coldly, raising an eyebrow. "If I clearly recall correctly, you and Luka were involved in a homosexual relationship as well for a while. You really have no room to judge."

"Holy crap, is that what you guys meant by that 'person he likes' stuff!?" Kaito suddenly exclaimed, looking between the girls, Gakupo and a substantially embarrassed Ritsu, who, at this point, had become nothing but Gakupo's shadow. "Dude..."

"Your eloquence is impeccable as always, Kaito." Gakupo grunted sarcastically as he walked around the table with Ritsu tagging along close behind him. The two of them took the last two, empty seats at the table, and for a brief moment everyone at the table was awkwardly silent, just staring back at the couple like they'd just performed some complicated acrobatic routine they couldn't wrap their minds around.

"C-Congratulations!" Miku finally spoke up, clasping her hands together. "I'm really happy fro you, Ritsu, you finally got your prince."

"Oh, no, don't say it like that..." Ritsu blushed and fidgeted some more, looking like he was running a fever he had become so red.

"It is sort of like that, though." Luka cooed. "A prince and his princess!" Ritsu responded only with a quiet, embarrassed whine, but at least now a ghost of a smile was on his lips.

"Am I seriously the only one who finds this weird?" Kaito spoke up, ruining the happy moment that had begun to form.

"Yes, Kaito, yes you are." Gumi spoke, sounding annoyed. "I for one think it's beautiful."

"As much as I would love to continue to discuss my romantic life with the rest of you riff-raff, I really came here to discuss the performance with you all, and the rest of the club once they bother to get out of bed." Gakupo interrupted, seeming unfazed by the girl's happy words as well as the fact Kaito found what he was doing to be "weird".

"We're totally ready, just like we were the last time you asked." Gumi complained. "We aren't going to screw up with the amount you've been slave driving us."

"I-It's not that!" Ritsu cut in, shaking his head. "It's... it's about the duet..."

"The duet... you mean the one me and Miku are supposed to sing?" Luka asked, to which the shy boy nodded, seeming almost guilty for some unexplainable reason. "What about it? I promise, Miku and I have had plenty of time to polish it-"

"Your hard work won't go unrewarded, I'm sure, but we're here to ask you to trade out singing it to someone else." Gakupo interrupted, looking up expectantly at the group as they looked back at him with looks of complete confusion.

"Trade with someone else!? But the performance is today!" Miku objected. "Isn't trading today a little... risky?"

"She's right!" Luka nodded, seeming just as thrown for a loop as her companion. "I mean, isn't it a little too late in the game to hand the duet over to someone else? Let alone changing our program could hold some pretty harsh consequences!"

"I'm fully aware there will be consequences, I'm not a fool. This is just something..." He paused, a rare moment indeed, seeing as everyone leaned in, gravitation with interest towards what in the world would make Gakupo hesitate. "...That I want to do." Just as they had leaned in with interest, the four others quickly leaned back in surprise. He, Gakupo, who always went on and on about what was necessary, mentioning that what he had planned didn't need to be done, but he wanted it to be?

"...What did you do to him?" Gumi asked in a state of awe to Ritsu, who looked back at her skittishly.

"I-I didn't do anything!" He denied.

"Suuuuure you didn't." Gumi said with a knowing eyebrow wiggle.

"Gakupo, if me and Miku aren't going to be singing, then who in the world is?" Luka asked over Gumi who was still teasing Ritsu with suggestive facial expressions. "Who in the world would-"

"We will." Gakupo stated as-a-matter-of-factly, as he hooked his arm around the still cowering Ritsu's waist and pulled him around and against him. There was a brief, shocked silence, followed by the other four exploding in surprise, each of them trying to speak over one another about the fact they probably didn't know the material as well as Miku and Luka, as well as figure out why Gakupo was so adamant about singing the song with Ritsu, who seemed as brave and strong as a shuddering leaf about to be blown from it's branch. The younger boy seemed increasingly worried now, but Gakupo remained unfazed and simply waited for the shocked chatter of his clubmates to eventually die down by itself before he brought himself to explain.

"I wouldn't have decided this unless me or Ritsu had a good grasp of the song. I'm not about to make a decision if it means I'm going to make a fool of myself." He told them sternly, giving them one last glare that snuffed out any last chatter from them so he could finish. "All I ask is for you to go along with my decision and trust me."

"What about the competition?" Gumi questioned. "All you've talked about is winning this thing, and now you're going to throw it all away just so you and Ritsu can share a spotlight, so you can sing about your forbidden love?" Ritsu fidgeted frantically as he tried to make a move towards the loudly-speaking girl to try and keep her from announcing to the world the relationship between him and Gakupo, but the older boy kept him in place.

"If that's the case, then yes." Gakupo explained plainly. "In the end, maybe winning doesn't really matter so much."

Unable to process those words coming out of Gakupo's mouth, his clubmates exploded into confused, chaotic chatter again, gaining attention from everyone around them save for a couple -a certain silver-haired girl and a girl with chestnut-brown hair, who only gave the outburst a small look before going about breakfast.

* * *

Miss Meiko had been completely silent since they'd left the center where the competition had been held. She sat at the front of the bus -no one daring to sit beside her- with her arms crossed and lips tightly pursed. This was far more frightening than her yelling at them, scolding them or punishing them. The prior night dealing with the uproar over Ritsu and the sudden change of plans that had gone on without her consent had made her so collectively furious all she could do was stare out the windshield of the bus and not speak or look at her rebellious students. No one dared speak louder than a hushed whisper, nor did they dare look in their teacher's direction, lest she be looking at them with a gaze that would probably turn them to stone.

Gakupo and Ritsu's performance had been moving and beautiful, and just like Gakupo had promised, they knew the material well enough to sing it on stage. From the perspective of the audience, everything went off without a hitch, but to Miss Meiko and the judges who expected Miku and Luka to be singing the duet, the performance had been a chaotic, unmitigated disaster. An unplanned change to the set without telling anyone was enough to have them expelled in the first round, and before her anger silenced her, all Miss Meiko did as they met backstage was scowl at the entire choir disappointedly and shake her head. Everyone, save for Gakupo -who tried to explain himself to their enraged teacher, but only got cut off by her sharply telling him, "not now"- held their heads low and walked around Miss Meiko like she was an infuriated alpha dog.

"I'm sorry." Ritsu whispered for the umpteenth time that bus ride, and he was met again with whispers back that it was alright and warning shushes. Gakupo patted his head reassuringly, wordlessly calming the distraught boy yet again. There was no question he'd have to do it again, seeing as Ritsu was especially remorseful about it -so much, he'd shed tears while they'd packed, and it took not only Gakupo, but Miku, Luka, Gumi and eventually the entire choir sans Meiko to calm him.

"Winning isn't everything, Ritsu, it's fine." Gumi spoke in a quiet voice. "There's always next year -well, for you, anyway." This comment brought another wave of hushed "sorry"s from the boy, and everyone around went right back to Ritsu-coddling duty, afraid his beginnings of tearful sobs would disturb their peeved teacher.

"Poor Ritsu, he looked like he was really enjoying himself on stage, too." Miku sighed, leaning in the aisle as she watched everyone frantically mime to Ritsu that they weren't as mad as Meiko. But she felt an arm wrap around her and pull her back into the seat, obscuring the sad sight from her view.

"He'll be fine, just give him time. Miss Meiko can't be angry at us forever, too." Luka assured her as she pulled Miku close to her. Miku blushed lightly, feeling her chest rub up against Luka's, feeling the warmth radiating from that part of her body through their clothes.

"Yeah... I guess you're right." Miku agreed in a dreamy voice as she rested her head on Luka's shoulder. "He's got Gakupo, there's no doubt he'll be fine." Luka chuckled softly, leaning forward and brushing the exposed nape of Miku's neck with her lips. The younger girl giggled quietly, twitching a bit as the sensation of Luka's lips traveling across the skin of her neck tickled her.

"And, between and me, I think you performed quite well." Miku couldn't figure out if Luka was talking about the night before of the actual choral performance, but, instead of asking, she simply snuggled against Luka more, wrapping her arms around her.

"You, too, Luka."

* * *

"Shoot! I missed them..."

"Missed who?" Miko turned around to find Tei walking into the hotel parking lot where she was standing. "You sure ran out of there really fast- don't tell me you were going to give him one last, corny goodbye."

"..." Miko looked down the road the bus Ritsu had come on would have most likely traveled down, away from the hotel. She heaved a sigh before she turned around to Tei, a lighthearted smile on her face.

"Of course I wasn't. Why would I do that if this really isn't goodbye?"

"God, can you spout any more cliched dialogue?" Tei asked as she rolled her eyes. "Come on, if we're caught all the way over here, we might just end up like those losers and be out of here on the first day." Miko chuckled, giving the silver-haired girl a slight nod as she took her hand.

"Yeah, let's go."


	17. Chapter 17: Snowflakes

Leaning out the window of the choir room, Miku found herself heaving a sigh –one of many that day. She'd gotten into the habit of it, in fact: just staring wistfully out windows and sighing to herself. A long, white trail of fog crept from her lips and floated into the chilly, winter air as she stared out at the grey-tinted scenery.

Not having Luka around was turning her into a melodramatic husk. Like most of the third year students, it was no longer required of her to attend club meetings and instead it was highly recommended she, like everyone else, go home and study for entrance exams. And not even their bond was enough to lure Luka away from her studies, though Miku didn't have the heart to be frustrated about such a thing. With the one suspension on her record, it would be exceedingly much more difficult for Luka to get into her school of choice than it had been before –which would have been quite easy considering her once spotless record and possible recommendations from her teachers. There was still a chance she'd be able to make it, but that meant devoting time that would normally belong to Miku to het textbooks and tutors. And all the while, Miku grew lonely, going about her days as if she'd lost someone important.

"Luka…" She muttered to herself, another translucent white puff drifting into the air as she longingly looked out the window.

"Hey, now, just because you're all glum Luka's not here doesn't mean you're allowed to let the rest of us freeze!" Came a voice from behind her and another, softer one reassuring them that one open window wasn't doing that much damage. Slowly Miku turned around, propping herself up by her elbows exhaustedly on the windowsill, as if she were moments away from slipping down to the ground (she certainly felt like it).

When it was stated that all third years should focus on studying than club activities, there was no fine print that such a thing was required, as evidence by Gumi's continued presence in the club. Aiming for a small art college whose exams were more based on composition pieces than testing, Gumi had the luxury to be a little more lax with how often she would reserve time to study instead of goof around. Though at the levels she was choosing to do that instead of focus on her studies was a little worrisome, to say the least. Even the ever-reserved Ritsu would voice his concern about how little Gumi seemed to care –Ritsu, who, for the record, was putting up a much stronger front over hardly getting to see Gakupo than Miku was about Luka. Miku found herself feeling a bit envious over how Ritsu could adapt to being without his own lover for long amounts of time.

"Sorry, it's just…" Miku muttered, looking away from her friends and back over her shoulder to the monochromatic world outside. "…I feel really down when Luka's not around, that's all. I know she's caught up in studying, but the last time I saw her we hardly had the chance to say hello."

"Hey, now isn't the time to be all depressing! After all, you'll be in her loving embrace soon enough." Gumi told her with a playful wink, to which Miku responded with a confused cock of the head.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, dear, don't tell me you've been so distracted by the fact you're lonely you haven't even bothered to look at a calendar! It should be obvious, not even the stupidest of people would not realize what time of year it is!"

"Wow, thanks…" Miku rolled her eyes.

"Miku, it's almost Christmas time." Ritsu reminded her softly. Miku reacted by losing her hold on the windowsill and nearly falling to the ground. Narrowly catching herself, she stared back at her two surprised friends with a look of shock and panic through now messy bangs. "You… really didn't know?"

"N-No!" Miku gasped, trying to straighten up. "God, I feel so stupid, how could I have forgotten! I haven't even gotten Luka a present! I don't even know what to get her!"

"Went from complete apathy to complete hysteria, hasn't she?" Gumi commented as Miku whipped around in small, worried circles, gathering her belongings and messily wrapping her scarf around her neck.

"Miku, where are you-" Ritsu began to ask before Miku hurriedly rushed passed them, stumbling as she struggled to pick up loose papers she had yet to haphazardly stuff into her bag.

"I need to find her something! There isn't much time!" Miku shouted back, groaning under her breath as she wondered how she'd managed to be so scatterbrained.

"Well, we might as well follow her." Gumi chuckled with a shrug.

"But what about the club!?" Ritsu asked in a worried tone as Gumi hooked her arm with his and began to forcefully lead him out of the clubroom with her. Just then, they happened to rush passed Miss Meiko, who whirled around in surprise as her students blazed passed her, a few pieces of sheet music slipping from her arms as she did.

"Sorry, Meiko! Yuletide emergency!" Gumi shouted over her shoulder before their teacher had any time to yell after them. It was for certain she did call out for them to come back (how unfortunate was she to oversee such unruly students) but by that time, Gumi and Ritsu were long gone, following after Miku who had burst into a wild sprint long ago. Only when she'd arrived at the outskirts of the shopping center did she slow down, long, thick trails of fog exiting her lips with each, heavy breath.

It only occurred to her then that she hadn't a clue what she was there to do. It seemed she'd come across the classic "what do you buy the girl who has everything" scenario. Luka truly had everything, and even being faced with dozens of boutiques filled to the brim for the season with perfectly good gifts, her mind was a blank. Frustration mixed with exhaustion she groaned to herself and turned the other way with a pout on her lips, only to find Gumi just then arriving behind her, a not so amused Ritsu in tow.

"You weren't thinking of leaving, were you?" Gumi asked her with a smirk.

"I haven't had enough time to think of a gift. I'd only wander around lost in there –there's no way I'd be able to find the perfect gift for Luka now." Miku muttered in defeat, only to find herself being jerked forward and around as Gumi hooked her free arm around her and added Miku to her unwilling ranks.

"That's what we're here for!" Gumi announced with a grin as she began to pull forward, both younger students she had captive being forced to walk alongside her. "What's Luka going to think if you arrive on her doorstep on Christmas Eve with no gift, huh?" She turned to the red-haired boy locked in her other arm, still uncomfortably squirming in her grasp –still wanting to go back to school and not invoke Miss Meiko's wrath any more than he had.

"And you, if I recall you haven't gotten Gakupo a gift either!" She said with a scolding tone, and had her other hand been free she would have possibly waggled her finger teasingly in his direction.

"He said I didn't need to. Something about how we don't need to validate our relationship with gi-" Ritsu began to say before Gumi cut in, adjusting her grip on the younger boy so that she could ruffle his hair.

"Oh, right, I forgot you got the mature boyfriend. 'Don't need to validate your relationship', HA! That's so Gakupo." She snorted as they drifted into the bustling crowds busily doing last minute shopping. Now there was no way for Ritsu or Miku to escape. All they could do now was drift through the sea of bodies with Gumi, whose laughter reached above the din of the crowd. "Don't you think the look on his face would be priceless if you bought him a present anyway? Come on, even serious bastards like him need a little something-something on the holidays. Like a tie, or a suit, or a stationary set… or a fun little toy for the two of you to play with together."

"G-Gumi!"

"I kid, I kid. But check out that blush on your face, you were totally picturing it!" Gumi teased, to which Ritsu looked away with an embarrassed look on his face.

And while Gumi continued to taunt Ritsu, Miku found herself looking about at the decorations and displays –brief glimpses of fine clothes draped over mannequins and jewelry glimmering under the glittering strings of Christmas lights being seen between gaps in the passing crowd. A faint noise of festive music could be heard playing somewhere above them, filling the air with the sounds of bells and a light, orchestral piece. She still hadn't the slightest clue what to get for Luka, but at least now she felt more in the spirit.

Without warning, though, Miku felt herself being forcibly jerked from her own musings as Gumi suddenly pulled her to the side in a manner that felt like she was trying to tug her arm right out of her socket. Gasping in pain, she looked over to the other two, and it seemed Ritsu was just as taken-aback by Gumi's sudden dodge to the left as she pushed him into several people before they found themselves around a corner.

"Ow! Gumi!" Miku complained, using her free hand to rub her now sore arm. Without a word, Gumi pressed her finger to her lips, jerking Ritsu closer to her in the process before making an equally unsmooth gesture by pointing in the direction of the shopping center. At first, all Miku could see was a flood of bodies crisscrossing in front of each other, the sound of footsteps filling her ears as she tried to focus, as if that would make everyone part ways for her vision. But then she saw it, a glimpse of flowing pink hair that seemed to glow under the cream-colored seasonal lights strung above, and from the angle they were crouched behind the corner, she also managed to steal a sight of the creamy skin of thighs poking out between a skirt and stockings. There she was, admiring a display Miku couldn't make out, seeming just as lovely as always: Luka.

"Lu-" Miku gasped, beginning to rise before Gumi pulled her back, giving her a stern look that scolded her like a wayward child. "H-Hey!" Gumi remained tight lipped, pointing into the crowd again. With a frustrated groan, Miku looked again, waiting for the crowd to part long enough to catch a look at what Gumi was now nearly furiously pointing at. Whatever it was, she seemed even a bit upset about it.

But then Miku saw it: a second person standing beside Luka who seemed to be happily gabbing away with her about the display, and Luka herself didn't seem at all bothered by their presence. In fact, she seemed to be laughing right along with them. There, seeming to be off in their own little world, were Luka and Kaito.

"W…What is he doing there?" Miku asked herself. In that moment, as she watched Kaito and Luka merrily began to walk in the opposite direction, she didn't feel like looking for a Christmas present after all.

* * *

"Wow, Miku, you look gloomier than usual." Rin gawked at Miku as she and Len flanked her on their walk home. Snow gently drifted down from the sky, but didn't stick to the ground long enough to begin to bunch below their feet.

"Yeah, lighten up, it's Christmas break!" Len chimed in, giving their friend a light nudge with his bag. Miku groaned tiredly in response, shrugging away as she reached up to rub her eyes. She'd hardly gotten much sleep the night before –but how could she? Every time she closed her eyes all she could see was Luka, and not in her usual, angelic visage she'd usually imagine to help her sleep. No, instead all she could picture was the girl she loved laughing with another person –a boy she wasn't on very good terms with no less- and having a good time despite the fact neither of them had seen much of one another. She seemed just fine even with not having gotten to see Miku at all while Miku herself felt void of energy.

"She's just pouting because she hasn't seen her lover in a while." Rin teased, unaware of Miku's current problem. She threw her arms around herself in an over dramatic fashion, her voice becoming mockingly breathy. "She hasn't been held or kissed for so long she's becoming an emotionless void. Poor Miku, drawn apart from her lover by school work!"

"Hey, don't say it like that, you're making me sound way too pathetic!" Miku shouted, trying to swat at Rin who nimbly jumped away, sticking her tongue out playfully.

"It's the truth! You need Luka or else you're down in the dumps all the time. Poor, poor, love-dependent Miku!" The two twins laughed again as Miku muttered in frustration, clenching her fists angrily as she shut her eyes tightly to lock away tears that wanted desperately to flow. Sometimes Rin and Len didn't know when to quit, but maybe it was just her, because in that moment, she thought of Luka and Kaito again. That smile she thought was reserved only for her being shown to another person… it made her heart feel unimaginably heavy, as if it were about to drop from her chest and travel all the way to the cold, wet ground.

"If you guys are going to keep pestering me about stupid stuff, I'm going to walk home a different way!" She snapped as she began to turn on her heel and do just that, her nose turned up to the still giggling twins. However, her dramatic exit was stopped, preceded by the sound of someone beginning to speak up before Miku whirled around without warning and ran headlong into them. Miku's eyes opened wide as she felt a soft, familiar, warm feeling collide with her collar bone, and came to find the plump chest of Luka right before her eyes. A split second later the two girls were stumbling backward, trying desperately not to fall onto the damp earth below them.

"L-Luka!" Miku stammered, her cheeks growing warm almost instinctually as her vision was filled with the sight of the person she'd been longing for. But at the same time, she also pictured the same scene that had plagued her mind all night and day, and she found herself having to force a pleasant look to remain on her face as she stood up straight and adjusted her now loosened scarf.

"Sorry, I should have said something! You just seemed so upset, it was almost like I couldn't approach you." Luka apologized, tucking a loose lock of hair back behind her ear. "I've been meaning to talk to you, but I haven't had the time at all! My father's done nothing but bring me tutors and bother me about studying every chance I get. I've hardly have time to get out on my own…" Miku couldn't help but remember, yet again, Luka and Kaito at the shopping center as Luka made the comment about her free time. Somewhere inside of her, anger began to churn.

"About what?" Miku said, maybe a bit too harshly, but she couldn't help herself. "What did you want to tell me but were way too busy for?"

"Oh, lovers spat!" She heard Rin whisper at her back. "Come one, Len, let's let them duke it out alone." Miku threw an ugly look over her shoulder at her friends as they retreated, heaving an annoyed sigh through her nose.

"Is… something the matter?" Luka dared to ask, seeming a bit offended by the sharp way Miku was behaving.

"I…You…" Miku began to say, ready to chew Luka out, all of her frustrations boiling down to one sentence she just wanted to scream: What was she doing hanging around Kaito when she was lonely without her!? But instead she shook her head furiously. "It's nothing, I'm just irritated and tired, that's all." Luka gave her a disbelieving look, but chose not to speak up about something being obviously wrong.

"Well, we're throwing an annual Christmas party at my house, but I haven't gotten the chance to invite you until now." She explained, reaching into her bag and producing an off-white card with fancy looking writing written on the front. "I'd really love it if you could come, Miku." She sounded sincere, and more than that she sounded sad, as if she knew the reason Miku was upset. That tone alone was enough to make Miku shed her frustrated shell for a moment and give the pink-haired girl a convincing smile.

"Of course I'll go." She told her, stowing the card away in her own bag. But before she could say anything else, Luka's cellphone rang, and she seemed almost hesitant to answer, giving Miku an uncomfortable side glance.

"I-I'm sorry, I need to take this. I'll see you at the party!" She said with a quick smile as she turned around and finally answered. Miku stood planted to the ground, listening to Luka as her voice perked up for the person on the other line.

"Thanks a lot for the other day… No, it's no problem at all…" Miku's gaze turned down to the ground as she listened to Luka talk to who she could only assume to be Kaito as if they were the best of friends. She'd sounded so glum talking to Miku, but now, talking to him, she seemed so relieved and happy. Miku's heart throbbed in pain as she tore herself away from her post, refusing to listen to their conversation anymore as she ran all the way home through the snow that finally began to pick up. By the time she got home, her hair and clothes were dusted with a white, moist powder that dampened her uniform and skin.

"Oh, good, you're home!" She heard her mom call from the kitchen. "It's starting to come down really bad out there –goodness, you look like the abominable snow girl!" She stuck her head into the hallway, noticing her daughter had brought a good amount of snow in with her. "Dinner's not quite ready yet, but I already ran a bath for you, so you can warm yourself up before you catch a cold." Miku nodded, trying to appear pleasant for her mother as she trudged upstairs.

Once she got to the bathroom she began to shed her damp clothes, looking down to see the bag she'd brought into the bathroom with her had opened, and its' contents were beginning to spill out onto the ground beside her uniform –the furthest out of its' confines being the card Luka had given her. With a heavy sigh she picked it up, turning it over in her hands as she examined it before lifting it and holding it to her nose. The note smelled like Luka, and she couldn't help but take in a long, greedy whiff of her scent.

'Has Kaito also gotten a chance to smell the same, sweet smell?' She thought to herself sadly as her heart sank yet again. After not getting to see her for so long and finally seeing her, but with someone else –it made her emotions do flips inside of her, leaving her feeling dizzy. On one hand, she was terribly lonely and filled with longing. She wanted nothing more than to feel the kind touch of her loved one, and to touch her silky, flawless skin in return. She wanted to hold her and kiss her and fill her heart that had been left empty from being apart for so long. But, on the other hand, her frantic emotions also gave way to anger from seeing Luka and Kaito together. Had it not been Luka who warned her about his playboy nature, who worried about the two of them getting so close? And now she was meeting up with him in secret and getting calls from him that stole her away from Miku. Had it truly been so long that Luka had begun to crave the attention of someone else –possibly the hungry, rougher affections of the choir club's Casanova? Keeping all these feelings inside would surely drive her crazy, there was no doubt about it.

"The party." She told herself as she looked at the card in her hands once more. "I'll confront her about it then… whether I like the answer or not."

* * *

The party was extravagant, as Miku had expected. The entire, large lawn that led to Luka's house was lit up by millions of white Christmas lights strung from above, making the snow that had piled up glitter. People of obvious high social standing arrived in cars and limos, making their way up the steps into Luka's family's estate. As she was guided into the main hall by a dozen or so fully dressed maids and butlers, Miku couldn't help but feel like mere riff-raff before the throngs of wealthy party goers, all holding champagne and wearing only the latest in formal wear. Miku had shown herself through the gate and arrived in a simple, black formal dress with aqua trim that used to belong to her mother (a testament to just how old the garment was). She'd done her best to make herself look presentable, spending hours on her hair and lacing a small lily through her locks so that it would stay in place, but she still felt horribly out of place.

And there was still the subject of Luka, who she couldn't pick out in the multitude. She ventured in, graciously taking a drink that was given to her by one of the butlers who was weaving in and out between guests with ease. She began looking around for that familiar head of pink hair somewhere in the crowd, but found nothing. Maybe Luka was busy greeting guests and being a polite hostess. Maybe she was off somewhere else, maybe even with…

Miku shook her head, refusing to let her mind wander where it was about to. Instead, she continued to look high and low for her illusive lover, daring to take a sip of the drink she'd been given. It was sweet and made her throat and stomach feel warm, as well as make her feel much more relaxed and cause her to forget about how her feet were aching in the high-heels she was wearing.

Eventually, her head had begun to feel heavy and wandering through the flood of bodies was beginning to make her feel hopelessly dizzy, so she begrudgingly excused herself to one of the rooms branching out from the main hall, finding herself in an empty sitting room –a group of people just beginning to leave, laughing merrily. Wearily, Miku made her way to one of the chairs and flopped down in it, the lily she'd placed in her hair finally being jostled from its' perch and falling into her lap. She heaved a defeated sigh and picked up the flower in her hands as she drew up her knees, resting her chin on them.

All that looking and she couldn't find Luka anywhere, and the things she was dying to ask her were eating away at her more and more the longer they remained inside of her. They desperately needed to be released, to the point where they were causing her to develop a slight headache –or maybe it was from the drinks she'd helped herself to during her search.

"Luka…" she muttered, her hot breath warming her knees as her eyes began to droop closed. "What were you doing… with Kaito…?"

"Miku! There you are, I've been looking everywhere for you!" Despite her exhaustion, Miku jerked her head up to find Luka wandering into the room, looking like the very vision of beauty itself. Her soft, pink hair hung down in curls, something mixed in with them to make her hair sparkle and shine, just like the snow outside. She wore a pure, white strapless ball down that drifted all the way to the ground, and an angelic pair of wings were attached to the back. She really, truly, looked like an angel descending from heaven in those brief moments as she finally appeared before Miku.

"L-Luka, I've been looking for you, too!" Miku gasped, ungracefully standing up and tripping over herself as she tried to rush over to the older girl. With one, last stumble she fell into her arms, finally realizing how loose her own body felt to her.

"Goodness, have you been drinking?" Luka dared to ask, looking down at the green-haired girl she now had in a tender, careful embrace. "Come on, let's sit you down. Don't want you hurting yourself at my party-"

"What-!" Miku began to say, unable to hold herself back from outburst any longer, although she did try. But her lips only parted to make way for those words she was trying to hold back once again. "What were you doing with Kaito!?"

"W-What!?" Luka gasped, stopping and looking down at her lover, who was now looking up at her with eyes moist from tears that started to gather and were at the ready to flow. "Miku, I was-"

"You seemed so happy with him! You seemed so happy without me!" Miku began to sob, burying her face in Luka's warm, inviting chest as she cried. "I'm so lonely, but you looked so happy! Aren't you lonely, too!?" She continued to cry, grasping the fine fabric of Luka's dress as she cried. Her weak legs began to give way, and she began to sink to the floor, taking Luka with her. "Are you… replacing me?"

"What!? No, Miku, I'd never do that!" Luka exclaimed, seeming upset both at the accusation and the fact Miku was so horribly saddened. "I love you, Miku, I'd never try and replace you with someone else –especially Kaito!"

"Then… what were you doing with him at the shopping center the other day?" Miku sniffled, looking up at her with tear-filled eyes. Luka sighed, lifting one hand to wipe her lover's face clean of the tears that were tumbling down her cheeks before taking Miku's hands gently in both of her's, as if they were made of fragile glass.

"He asked me for some help with a gift, that's all. He seemed to desperate, I really couldn't turn him down… I guess I had a little more fun than I expected to have, but we didn't do anything!" She assured her sternly. "Miku, I'd never start seeing someone else behind your back. These past few weeks- having to study instead of be with you- have been painful, but I'd never EVER turn to someone else because of that. You're the only one I love, Miku, no matter how much time we spend apart."

Miku looked up at her with a surprised look a child would normally give before a fresh batch of tears filled her eyes and clouded her vision as she began to cry yet again. She rested her head –that felt heavier than ever- on her shoulder as she wrapped her arms around the soft body of her beloved.

"I'm sorry… I-I shouldn't have assume something so… so awful!" She hiccupped, to which Luka responded with silence as she kindly rubbed her back as she let out the last of her tears. As Miku pulled away slightly to rub at her eyes that were now red and sore, she felt Luka press a tender kiss against her forehead. A blush appeared on her cheeks and this time not from the many drinks she'd had.

"I love you, Luka." She spoke softly between sniffles, and Luka laughed lightly in response.

"I love you, too, Miku –always have, always will." She leaned in again, pressing a second kiss against her cheek before pulling away. "Oh! Could you wait here for a few seconds! There's something I need to get." Before Miku could respond, Luka had gently untangled herself from her embrace and hurried out of the room. In the meantime, as she waited, Miku began to try and regain her composure –standing up and smoothing out her dress as well as wiping at her eyes once more.

"Sorry for making you wait!" Luka called as she ran back into the room, a package wrapped in festive paper in her hands. "This is for you –a Christmas present. I've been working on it between study sessions... it may not be all that good." Gingerly, Miku took the package and neatly unwrapped it, coming to find a homemade scarf made from light pink yarn- the color of Luka's glittering hair. There were a few places where the string poked out in awkward loops where Luka had made a mistake or two, but otherwise it looked perfect –and, of course, anything handmade by Luka would be perfect anyways.

"Luka…"

"I noticed the scarf you always wear is a little threadbare, so I figured it was time for a new one." Luka smiled kindly before almost being knocked backwards from a hug Miku gave her without warning. She tightly embraced her, resting her head against her bosom and wrapping her arms around her tightly and lovingly.

"Thank you! I love it! I'll wear it all the time!" She cheered, a relaxed, happy feeling rising through her as she felt Luka pat her affectionately on the head. She could stay there forever, embracing her and listening to her heartbeat –that was until she realized something: she had no gift to give Luka at all! Here she was, with a gift Luka had made all by herself when she could have studied more, and she had nothing to give her in return!

"I feel awful, I have nothing to give you…" she muttered in a guilty tone, pulling away a bit.

"It's alright, you being here is-" Luka began to say before Miku cut her off.

"No way it's not! It's unacceptable!" Miku practically whined as she looked from side to side, as if the answer were somewhere beside them. "Wait right here, I'll be right back!"

"Miku, I told you-" Luka objected, but Miku had already run out of the room. She dodged groups of people, looking around the room before she saw a group of tables set up along the edge of the main hall, all of which were decorated with a cluster of things suitable for the seasons –one of which being bows, which Miku helped herself to. With one silky, red bow in hand she rushed back to the side room where Luka was waiting.

"I'm sorry it's not much-" She announced as she placed the bow slightly askew on the top of her head. "But this is the best I can do in terms of a present on such short notice." Luka looked back at her in silence for a moment, and Miku felt as if she were still supposed to fill the silence with something. "It's me, Luka, I'm your present. Merry Christmas!" Luka finally made a noise –which was laughter as she covered her mouth, shoulders quivering a bit as she chuckled.

"It's a wonderful present, Miku, thank you." She smiled, walking over to her and taking her by both hands. She leaned in, a more loving look on her face as she whispered into Miku's ear, "If you don't mind, I'd like to unwrap my present where no one else can see."

"I don't mind at all." Miku nodded, a flash of excitement flowing through her veins as Luka led her away from the party. And all the while the feeling grew and grew as the older girl led her upstairs, away from the rest of the party and to where the two of them wouldn't be bothered. "Just try to withhold your excitement and… unwrap me gently."

* * *

"God, I really must be an idiot or something!" Gumi groaned to herself as she waited just outside the shopping center that was, now, completely deserted. Every sane person was back at home, enjoying Christmas Eve with their families and loved ones and out of the cold. She cupped her hands together and slowly breathed into them before checking her watch impatiently. "I'm so stupid, I should just go home."

But before she could take a step away from where she'd been standing, she heard the sound of snow crunching beneath someone's feet. She looked up, giving who was approaching her an annoyed look as she shoved her hands in the pockets of her jacket to keep them warm.

"You really know how to make a lady wait, you know? When you make plans to meet someone, usually you should be the one who gets there first, stupid!" She snapped, small puffs of air escaping her mouth as she spoke sternly.

"Sorry, I guess I got a little nervous and lost track of time." Gumi gave Kaito, who was standing before her looking apologetic, a scrutinizing look.

"What, you, the great womanizer, getting nervous to meet a classmate to hang out on Christmas Eve?" She questioned mockingly. "You must be a bigger puss than I took you for –not to mention rude. I've been waiting here for almost an hour! You're lucky I had nowhere else to be!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know… I just…" Kaito stumbled over his words a few times as Gumi tapped her foot against the snow covered earth impatiently. Eventually, he seemed to give up on what he was trying to say and instead held out a messily wrapped package, offering it to her with a nervous flourish. "This is for you… a Christmas present, I guess…" Gumi looked at him quizzically before slowly accepting the present.

"This isn't some kind of joke, is it?" She asked, getting no reply. With a huff she began to unwrap it, letting the shimmering paper fall to the snowy ground below. Inside was a box from the local bakery, and upon further inspection in contained several pieces of Gumi's favorite carrot cake that she hardly got to eat, considering the item was popular and was normally sold out.

"Luka said you really liked those." Kaito muttered. "I went shopping with her, but the bakery was out. To tell the truth I was late because I was waiting for them to be finished. It took a lot to heckle the baker to make them on such short notice." Gumi looked down at the package, running her fingers along the bottom –the cakes were still fresh and warm, probably at their peak of taste.

"Trying to butter me up with food now, are you?" Gumi asked as she cocked an eyebrow. "Upgrading from leaving me letters in my shoe locker to my favorite kind of cake?" Again, Kaito didn't respond, only nervously drew lines in the snow with his feet, like he was expecting a scolding. And, as he heard Gumi approach, he even found himself flinching, but instead he was met with the feeling of one of her hands ruffling his hair.

"Come on, you goof, let's go eat these somewhere where it isn't freezing cold." She told him as she began to walk off. "My place isn't too far, I guess we can go there."

"…Thank you."

"Why are you thanking me, stupid?" Gumi asked as she turned to him. "…Never mind. Merry Christmas, Kaito."

* * *

"Alright, you can look now." After listening to the soft sound of clothes rustling with her eyes closed, Luka looked up to see Miku sitting on her bed, illuminated only by the lights from the courtyard below, in nothing but her undergarments and the pink scarf Luka had made for her wrapped around her neck. It was certainly a sight to behold, and for a moment, Luka even forgot to breath.

"Does it look alright?" Miku asked with a smile, modeling the scarf as she twisted from side to side. She looked up at Luka with a longing smile, beckoning her to come closer. Luka willingly obeyed, making her way over to the bed as Miku shifted to the very edge, sitting up as straight as she could so that their faces were dangerously close.

"It looks beautiful on you." Luka whispered before pressing a light kiss against Miku's lips, a quiet smack emanating between the two of them before Luka pulled away.

"Maybe I should change into something more suitable as well." She laughed lightly before turning around and pulling her hair away from her back and over her shoulder, exposing the zipper of her dress. "Could you help me? I'm afraid it's nearly impossible to do myself." With a gulp and suddenly shaky hands, Miku obliged as she reached out and grasped the tiny zipper, slowly pulling it down exposing Luka's upper back, then lower back, then the very hem of her underwear before the strapless dress fell to the ground on its' own, leaving Luka bare –and unlike Miku, she wasn't wearing a bra to cover some of her more lovely features. Miku's insides began to do flips as Luka turned around, arms folded right beneath her swollen chest, putting her exposed breasts on full display.

"L-Luka…" Miku sighed lovingly as she reached out, finger tips tracing over one of her inviting mounds. Luka flinched a bit, but not out of pain, as Miku let her hands wander over her body, slowly pulling her closer and closer until she was within reach enough so that she could plant a kiss right on the salmon tip of one of her breasts. "You're beautiful."

"So are you." Luka responded breathily as she made her way onto the bed and taking Miku's face in her hands before planting another kiss against Miku's smiling lips. Light moans escaped them as they continued, drifting farther onto the bed as they did.

Finally, after so long, feeling Luka's touch and Luka's body was pure bliss for Miku, who began to become completely lost in the passionate kiss being shared between them. Only when the two of them finally required air did they pull away, quietly panting as they looked back at one another.

"Merry Christmas, Luka."

"Merry Christmas, Miku."


	18. Chapter 18: Worries

The air was cool and crisp as Miku walked to school, wispy, grey, low-hanging clouds just barely parting to reveal a wide, clear blue sky that had been hidden for days. She looked up, heaving a long sigh that sent a translucent puff of air swirling above her.

Christmas break was over, and so were her moments where she could indulge fully in Luka's presence. The brief break from school had allowed the two girls to finally take a break from their studies and homework and return into the warm embrace of the other's arms. Miku had hoped those moments would last forever, lying in bed with her lover and watching the winter snow fall outside the window, enjoying hot cups of cocoa while she helped Luka during brief study sessions (and rewarding her with kisses for every answer she got right) and sharing a long, tender kiss on New Years. Things had gone back to normal, where every spare moment was spent losing herself in Luka, but that didn't change the flow of time.

Now she was out in the cold, all on her own, and Luka was home with a cold, taking the opportunity to study the bug away. She'd hoped to, at least, see her in the morning, but waking up she was greeted with a message on her phone that informed her she'd be inevitably alone that day. In frustration, she kicked a chunk of dirty, half-melted snow that still remained from the last snow fall and watched the slushy remains splatter against the pavement.

"Well, well, someone seems a little mad." Miku froze in her tracks, not looking up from the splattered, black snow at her feet. She desperately hoped she was simply hearing things, or that she mistook the voice for someone else, but whoever had spoken had a faint beeping of cell phone keys mixed in with their catty greeting, and it sent a shiver up her spine.

"…What do you want?" Miku asked defensively, daring to raise her eyes just a bit, but only enough so that she could see the shoes of the notorious Akita Neru. She found herself looking a bit higher –to the hem of her skirt- as she heard Neru voluminously laugh, a shudder of enjoyment reaching down even to her hips as she laughed. Miku dared not look into her eyes, as if doing so would turn her to stone.

"That's rich; you really think I'm here to do something to YOU? I have bigger fish to fry, sweetheart. "Neru scoffed, pocketing her cell phone. She paused, and Miku could feel herself growing more and more uncomfortable the longer she felt Neru's icy stare bore into her. "What, is there something interesting on the ground or something?"

"N-No!" Miku exclaimed, finally looking all the way up to see Neru giving her the sickest of grins. "I…I was…"

"God, you're cute. If I wasn't done with you, I'd be tempted to play around with you a little more." Neru laughed mockingly as she continued her slow stalk forward. "But now I think you'd be a little too boring for my taste."

"Hey… where are you going?" Miku dared to ask as the demon with yellow hair passed by her, heading in the opposite direction of school. Neru chuckled once again, but didn't stop as she continued to walk away from Miku, retrieving her once stowed cellphone and beginning to busily type away on it again.

"Since when does it really matter to you if I cut class or not?" She asked her slyly, to which Miku honestly couldn't think of an answer. "I seem to be coming down with an awful headache, so I'm choosing not to go to school today, if that's alright with you."

Miku opened her mouth to speak, but chose to not validate her comment with an answer. Instead, she whipped herself around in an angry fashion, away from Neru, and continued on her walk to school, her melancholic thoughts about walking to school alone replaced by the offset feelings she'd gained by simply being in the presence of Neru. And although she appeared to be her usual, trollish self, Miku couldn't help but realize there was something off about Neru she couldn't quite put her finger on –maybe the look in her eyes she'd caught. She seemed like she was in a hurry to get away from school and was leaving with a purpose other than that she had an obviously fake headache.

As she pondered this, she finally arrived at school, coming to find the courtyard packed with small groups of students with uniforms much different than her own. They were all in tightly packed groups, generating a nervous, in-awe murmur that filled the winter air. She stood in confusion a few moments before she recognized a few of them wearing the uniform she wore in middle school herself, all looking up at the tall school building before them with a mix of hope and worry in their eyes.

"Prospective students…" Miku said aloud to herself just as someone brushed passed her, muttering a flustered, quiet sorry as they passed by. She caught a glimpse of flowing, silvery hair and a messy uniform, as well as a hodge-podge of assorted bandages where skin poked through the baggy uniform of the girl who passed her by. She quickly shuffled to the group of like-dressed students, but didn't assimilate herself into the tight group. Instead she stayed a fare distance away, rubbing at her arm in an almost worried fashion. Her sleek, nearly-white hair was gathered into a tight, low ponytail with bangs that hid her face. And Miku couldn't help but notice the fresh cut on her knee, almost like the one she suffered her first day of high school (that sure brought her back). Maybe she'd taken a tumble as well…

"God, Haku is annoying, as always." Miku curiously looked over her shoulder as she watched three more girls in the same uniform walk by, gabbing vapidly to one another as they walked to their group. "When is she ever going to learn her place, huh?"

"Agreed, she's hopeless!" Another laughed. "And she thinks she's going to pass her entrance exams, too? What a joke!" As the three of them laughed and arrived with their fellow students, Miku couldn't help but notice the silver-haired girl take a large step backward, seeming threatened by the presence of the other three girls.

"Could they have…" Miku mumbled to herself before a familiar voice broke through her thoughts.

"Checking out our future juniors, huh?" It was Rin, who playfully leaned on her friend's shoulder while her brother took hold of the other on Miku's other side, weighing her down and forcing her to hunch so that she was at their face level. "Aww, aren't they cute, they all look so young!"

"Rin, we were that age a year ago, I hope you know." Miku informed her, trying to shake the two of them off, but to no avail. "We're only a year older than them."

"So? We're still older." Len shrugged. "Finally, a bunch of younger kids to boss around!"

"Don't do too much damage, alright? They haven't even taken the exams for this school yet, let's try not to make them change their minds just yet." Miku rolled her eyes as she looked back at the silver-haired girl, who seemed to have drifted even further away from her group. "I'm sure they have enough on their hands that they don't need you guys scaring them with your pranks."

"Aww, I think Luka's rubbing off on her, she's growing soft." Rin teased, poking Miku's cheek. Groaning, Miku allowed Rin to continue her assault on her cheek as she looked back to the gaggles of middle school students, only to find them all beginning to file into the building. And taking up the rear, staying a fair distance away from anyone, was the silver-haired girl, her head hung low as if she were attempting to not meet anyone's eyes –like a peasant among throngs of royalty. She was a complete stranger to her, that was for certain, but Miku couldn't help but feel sorry for the younger student. Maybe Rin was right, maybe Luka really was rubbing off on her.

* * *

Lunch had finally arrived, and Miku had already had her cell phone confiscated numerous times from her various teachers. She had no idea how Neru got away with texting through class all day –no matter where she hid it, or how fast she tried to produce her messages she intended to send to Luka, it seemed she was always getting caught and scolded. She began to feel perpetually embarrassed around the time her getting continuously caught stopped being funny to her classmates. Their soft laughs over her having gotten in trouble eventually all dissolved into sighs and groans as class was stopped once again so Miku could be told –once again- to pay attention.

The only time the attention wasn't on her and her inability to text sneakily was when everyone noticed the presence of the middle school students who –despite having probably been told to stay quiet as not to disturb their seniors- all produced an excited, nervous wave of whispers as they passed by, craning their necks to look in through windows and partially cracked doors. And in turn, their seniors paid attention to them, laughing about how cute the younger students were in their uniforms some remembered wearing themselves –as well as their child-like excitement over walking through the halls of their possible future school. By the time the lunch bell sounded, it seemed to be the hot topic, and most of Miku's classmates were leaving the classroom to possibly seek out their possible future juniors and soak up the admiration of their being high school students like sponges –just like Rin and Len had done that morning.

Miku had better things to do than take advantage of the chance to be enamored by the younger students. Cell phone in hand, she took no time at all in running through the throngs of people to the roof. She ran, haphazardly wrapping the scarf Luka had given her around her neck while trying to begin the first message before arriving at her destination. By the time she arrived at the last flight of stairs she'd become hopelessly dizzy and stopped a few steps away from the doors to catch her breath as she looked down at her cellphone.

"Hey, how are-" was all she had managed to type out while she made her way there, and she began the process of beginning to finish the greeting –but was interrupted by a pitiful, painful noise coming from the rooftop that was normally deserted. She caught a glimpse of a sliver of bright light as she gazed upward, finding the door propped open by a school bag, briefly catching glimpses of figures breaking the stream of light stretching down into the dark stairway as they frantically danced by. Another, hardly audible, hurt cry echoed from outside, followed by angry voices and cruel laughter. Without thinking, Miku closed her phone and ran as fast as she could up the last few steps and threw open the doors, greeted first by a wall of cold air she wasn't expecting, causing her to flinch a bit.

The scene that greeted her took the breath from her lungs just as the cold had, and at first she didn't know what to do. Before her were the group of three girls she'd seen that morning circled around the silver-haired girl who she'd also caught sight of. One had a hold of a good chunk of her hair and was roughly tugging at it, causing the girl to whine in agony as tears welled up in her eyes. Another held her by the arm and twisted it behind her back, making the girl squirm. The final of them had just finished pouring a bottle of soda over the girl's head, soaking her in the translucent, brown liquid and staining her hair a clothes with it.

"H-Hey!" Miku finally gathered the courage to shout. Having been caught and possibly not wanting to get in trouble at the school they hadn't even entered yet, the three girls immediately separated themselves from the silver-haired girl, but showed no remorse as they kicked over what appeared to be the girl's school bag, scattering the contents all over the damp ground. And at her back, as the three of them ran back down the stairs, Miku could clearly hear laughter that grew softer and softer as the girls retreated.

Meanwhile, the girl she'd saved didn't seem thankful at all that she'd been saved –in fact, she seemed just as miserable as when she'd been bullied moments ago. She shivered and wrapped her arms around her body now damp from the soda that had been poured over her as she dropped to her knees, silent at first, but then gaining the voice to slowly start to sob. It was quiet at first –nothing but hiccups and quiet moans- but then it escalated into an anguished cry as the girl curled into a pathetic ball at Miku's feet as if she weren't still standing there, possibly to offer up some help to her.

"U-Uh, hey…" Miku stammered, slowly lowering herself to the ground as she reached out, resting a warm hand on the girl's violently-shaking shoulder. She reacted as if Miku had burned her instead of giving a light, friendly touch, and sat up with a start, sharply gasping as she clumsily scooted back, away from Miku. She knew she had done nothing wrong, but her reaction forced an, "I-I'm sorry", out of Miku, who looked on in concern as the girl went back to defensively curling herself into a ball.

"Please… leave me alone." The girl begged, "Just… leave me alone." Miku looked at the girl's now horribly shaking form, reaching only to pull away when the girl's convulsions seemed to grow worse the closer she grew. Her mind was a blank, but it didn't seem her presence there was helping as much as she had hoped. It was almost as if Miku were no different than the girls who had violently bullied her, and any moment she, too, would be pulling at her hair or twisting her arm. The whole situation made Miku's heart hurt, and it felt awful that it seemed she could do nothing at all –anything she tried even beginning to do would only illicit fear from the younger girl.

She turned around, feeling awful that all she could do was leave when she spotted the girl's cell phone scattered among her belongings on the ground. Gathering up the loose odds and ends the best she could, Miku picked up the girl's cell phone delicately (A white flip phone with a single, glittering snow flake sticker on the front) and navigated her way through to the girl's contact list. It was short, mostly what someone just getting a cellphone would have –just family member's numbers and ones for customer service.

"Here, just in case you want to talk, alright?" Miku spoke softly as she entered her number into the girl's phone. "I'll help you, if you let me…" she sighed sadly as she looked over her shoulder. The girl's shivers had come to a stop but she was still curled up and hunched over, not even giving any hints that she acknowledged what Miku had said. Miku waited a while longer, hoping that maybe the girl would at least cast a look her way, but after a long bout of nothing but silence and the occasional, stray sob it appeared that she wasn't going to get a response other than cowering from the girl.

"…H-here." Miku told her, gently, as she placed the cell phone right at the girl's feet before standing up. "You just… Be careful, okay?" Miku didn't know why she was even bothering, she knew all too well now she was going to be possibly ignored yet again. So, with one last look of concern, she turned to leave, leaving the girl to her own devices.

Shortly after Miku left, the girl finally did uncoil herself just enough to pick up her cell phone and flip it open, looking at the screen displaying her contact list in an almost dreamy way as she caressed the glowing screen now containing a new, foreign name in her small collection her mother had entered for her. Among names and contacts that seemed to hardly serve a purpose was a new name that filled her heart with a small, sliver of hope

"Miku…" she whispered through trembling lips, continuing to stare into the screen, as if mesmerized. Closing the phone, she held the small, electronic device close to her heart, embracing it as if it were an actual, living thing –a person who was holding her right back, filling her cold body with warmth. "…Miku."

* * *

"Another one? That's getting mighty spooky now." Ritsu commented as he and Miku left the choir room together. Miku held her cell phone to her ear, listening to nothing but silence on the other end as she gave her friend a troubled look. She stayed on the line a few more moments before hanging up, heaving a bothered sigh.

"I figured it was Luka at first, but not even she would pull pranks like this for this long." Miku groaned, stowing her cell phone into her pocket. The two of them had kept in contact ever since lunch, though it seemed Luka had grown much better and had taken to studying in bed instead of getting a little more rest. Miku expressed her concern, but her bed-ridden lover insisted she would be fine, so long as she took her medicine and didn't exhaust herself too much.

But between texts Miku had also been receiving others, but those were sent by a number she didn't recognize, and contained absolutely nothing –just a blank message, nothing more. Miku figured it to be a glitch of some sort, but upon asking Luka if she'd messaged her, she got a confused "no" as a reply. But the blank messages truly didn't concern her until they were matched with equally wordless calls from the same number. Each time she answered, she got nothing but silence no matter how loud or how many times she said hello.

"Maybe you should block the number, you know, if it gets much worse." Ritsu suggested, shivering a bit as the two of them walked outside and were greeted by a chilling, late-winter wind. "It could very well be a stalker or something. I've read this is how they usually start."

"If it gets worse I'll do something about it, don't worry." Miku assured her. "Right now it's just a nuisance, but not enough to make me start freaking out."

"Don't wait until you are, please?" Ritsu asked of her in a concerned tone. Miku chuckled lightly, restraining herself from patting the worried boy on the head like a puppy.

"Alright, alright, I promise!" She laughed as the two of them passed through the school gates. "In the meantime, want to come over to my house and study? I think my mom's making stew tonight, and she always makes way too much."

"I'd love to, but I can't" Ritsu politely refused. "I already made plans tonight."

"Going to see Gakupo again, huh?" Miku smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Going to go help him 'study'?"

"I am, thank you very much." Ritsu grumbled, turning up his nose in a joking manner and looking away from Miku. "Why do you and Gumi always assume me and Gakupo are doing crazy things like that all the time? Do we really come across as that sort of couple?"

"I bet a little this and that helps that stiff relax a bit, huh?" Miku teased, suggestive hand gestures and all.

"W-Well what about you, huh? Don't you go to Luka's place to help her?" A silence fell between them as Miku grasped for words.

"I'm not smart like you are, Ritsu, and I'm a first year. Me trying to help her study would be the equivalent of me just whiting out all of her important notes." She sighed. "She lost her recommendation because of some stupid mistake I got caught up in, so now she has to study harder than everyone else. I think I'd only throw a wrench in her gears, if you know what I mean." She heaved a defeated laugh, her shoulders drooping a bit as she admitted it aloud. "I would only be a distraction."

"Hey, everyone needs a little distraction sometimes." Ritsu assured her warmly as he spun around, preparing to walk in the opposite direction. "Gakupo does sometimes, and I'm sure Luka does, too. She'd appreciate you being there whether or not you helped her study." With those final words, he gave Miku a playful wink before turning all the way around. "See you tomorrow!"

"Bye…" Miku spoke softly, limply giving Ritsu a wave before turning and walking home herself.

"Maybe he's right…" she whispered to herself as she took out her cell phone and found her way to Luka's contact. "Maybe going over there… might not be all that bad…"

Just then her phone began to ring, and at first her heart leaped, hoping it was Luka –and maybe it was fate in action, prompting Luka to call her the moment she considered doing the same- but when she came to find the same, unknown number, she groaned in frustration, angrily answering it. Whoever it was on the other line, she wasn't going to be polite to them anymore if they were going to keep bothering her

"What do you want!?" she shouted into the phone. "Really, don't you have anything better to do with your time besides make prank calls!?" She continued to shout until she rounded a corner, coming face to face with a familiar, yellow-haired student, her same-colored cell phone pressed to her ear. Miku glared at her, closing her phone furiously before stomping over to her.

"Geeze, you're in a mood, aren't you?" Neru asked, just before Miku snatched her phone away. "Hey! What the hell!? If you're going to be a bitch, at least have a decent reason!"

"I do! You're the one who's been sending me all those prank calls, haven't you!? Can't just leave me be, can you!?" Miku snapped, to which Neru gave her an ugly, highly-bothered look.

"The hell are you going on about? I was talking to Teto, you psycho!" Neru snarled back, and before she snatched back her cell phone, Miku could hear Neru's loyal crony confusedly asking what was going on.

"You mean… it wasn't you?"

"Yeah. I know it's a hard concept to grasp that I'm not after you anymore, but you really should try considering giving it a try. Don't flatter yourself by thinking I'd come running back to-" Neru paused mid-sentence, looking like she'd just swallowed something foul. "…Teto, I'm going to have to call you back." She closed her phone, giving Miku a warning look, and Miku couldn't help but taking a step back in response to it.

"You haven't… given out your number recently, have you?" She asked her. "Maybe to a pathetic looking middle school brat? Silver hair, has a knack for getting bullied?"

"How… do you know that?" Miku dared to ask, and Neru groaned loudly, grasping at her head as if she'd suddenly developed a headache. "What? What's wrong?"

"You're so stupid! You don't just give your number out to random strangers! That girl doesn't deserve your kindness, she doesn't deserve anything!" Neru shouted. Miku was taken aback by how suddenly Neru had flown into a visible rage over something as simple as her giving out her number.

"Wait, do you know that girl?" she asked, but she only got a chilling glare in response.

"Take my advice: that girl is better off dead, got it!?" Neru snarled. "She's better off not bothering anyone again." Before Miku could confusedly respond, Neru took a warning step towards her, leaning in close and narrowing her eyes. "If you know what's best for you, you'll block her number and forget you ever met her. With any luck she'll stop calling you and just off herself like she keeps saying she will."

"Neru, what the hell are you talking about?" Miku finally asked. "What did that girl do to you, huh!?" Neru could be harsh, devilish and down-right evil, but never once had she ever wished death upon anyone. The fact Neru so openly hoped this girl she seemed to know would die was unsettling indeed –as well as make Miku angry. After seeing how horribly picked-upon she was, hearing someone wish her dead was horrible!

"…Remember how I told you I'd tried to be like you people?" Neru asked, her voice becoming chillingly icy. "I tried to help that girl, and I was met with the greatest misery I ever had to face. She isn't worth it, and if you know what's good for you, you'll actually listen to me. I'm not doing this to trick you –I'm doing this so that pathetic leech doesn't screw you up, too. People like you only give her a reason to live and really, she shouldn't deserve one."

"You…" Miku growled before her phone rang again. She looked sharply down at it, only to find it was finally Luka, and she found herself heaving a sigh. Looking back up, she came to find Neru had already walked away, done speaking to her and warning her about what seemed like nonsense. Drawing in a breath, Miku tried to cleanse the annoyance from her system before answering the phone cheerily.

"Luka!" she beamed as she spoke, happy to finally hear her lover's voice. "How are you? Are you feeling any better? How's studying going?"

"Miku, Miku, one question at a time!" Luka chuckled, sounding a bit tired but otherwise her usual, lovely self. "I'm doing fine, a lot better than I was this morning. And I'm happy to announce that I finished my studying for today. Even I need a break sometimes, I think being sick constitutes that, right?"

"I suppose so." Miku smiled, remembering what Ritsu had said to her earlier. "…Well, since you're done studying, maybe I should come over there and nurse you back to health." She heard Luka snort on the other end of the line, a small giggle traveling on the airwaves that sent a pleased shiver through Miku's body.

"I'd like that." Luka finally spoke between excited giggles. "I… I'd want you to come over whether I'm sick, studying or otherwise, though. I know it seems I'm too busy with my studies, but you being here would help… a lot." For a brief moment, there was a twinge of sadness mixed in with Luka's melodic tone of voice, and Miku felt herself feeling bad for assuming she wasn't needed during Luka's studying hours.

"You… You'd like me around… even when you're studying?" She asked, unsure sounding.

"Of course! I'd rather you be here in any situation, Miku." Luka informed her warmly. "I'm always lonely when you're not here, and I know you feel the same. We can help each other with that Miku, you just don't need to feel like you're intruding."

"I-I'm not that bright at all, though. I'd never be able to help you out with your studying!" Miku objected, getting a heavy sigh in return from Luka. Even though she wasn't there before her, Miku found herself straightening up, like a child about to be scolded.

"You'll be a bigger help than you realize by just being here, Miku. I… These days I need you more than ever." Luka's voice was suddenly overcome by sadness that reached Miku even over the phone, latching to her own heart. Something told her this wasn't simply a case of her lover being lonely without her. Her voice sounded solemn, and like she was moments away from shedding tears. She was a breath away from asking what was wrong before Luka perked up again, though it sounded forced , as if Luka were pushing Miku away with her words almost.

"Just come over, I'd love your company right now." She told her, her voice sounding bright. "I've read that sharing your warmth with another person helps when someone has a chill." Miku blushed lightly at the suggestive comment, restraining herself from smiling as she tripped over her words.

"A-Alright, I'll be r-right there!" She stammered, excitement beginning to thrash about in her chest that felt like it was seconds from bursting. "A-And Luka…"

"Yes?"

"I-I love you." Miku spoke softly, her lips close to the speaker like her phone was Luka's mouth, awaiting a kiss from her.

"I love you, too, Miku." Luka giggled, sounding relieved by those three simple words. "I'll see you soon."

Miku felt a surge of energy as she hung up, ready to run all the way to Luka's house before her phone started to ring again. Maybe Luka had forgotten to say something, or maybe there was something she wanted her to pick up… but upon glancing at the number she was greeted with the unfamiliar number that had plagued her all day. She groaned and rolled her eyes, contemplating not even answering before unwillingly lifting the phone to her ear and answering.

"Look, if you're the girl I met this afternoon at school… I'd rather you not keep calling me like this." She spoke coldly. "If you keep on doing this, I'm going to block your number." If it really was her, it hurt putting that threat out in the open as she recalled the torture she had only seen a glimpse of that the girl had gone through.

"No one would care if I died." A chilling voice finally spoke, filling Miku's ear with the most empty of voices. It was as if those few words had been spoken by someone who was completely void of emotions –someone who had given up. "My parents don't talk to me, the only classmates who speak to me only want to hurt me… the most precious person to me no longer wishes to know me… Maybe it would be better… If I died."

"What!?" Miku gasped, looking around frantically in a panic, as if the girl would be somewhere nearby. "T-That isn't true! I'm sure there's someone-"

"Not even all these people below me would care. I'd fall right in front of them and they'd probably walk all over me." The girl continued, her voice carrying nothing but blankness as she continued to drone. "I can see them all from here, all those people in the shopping center…"

"Don't do it!" Miku found herself shouting. "You can't! You… you… please, just wait!" There was a click, followed by the dial tone, and Miku felt as if the ground had vanished from beneath her feet. She was going to jump –from where she hadn't a clue, but she was certain the girl was about to take her own life, and she was the last one she called. But if she truly wanted to die, she would have not called anyone at all.

"A cry for help…" Miku thought allowed before turning the opposite way of Luka's home and breaking into a run. Luka would understand, right? She was saving someone's life, after all, she was sure she would…

Or, at least, as she ran in the direction of the shopping center, she hoped so.


	19. Chapter 19: Scars

Luka heavily sighed as she rolled over on her bed to stare outside. Her phone, still flipped open and glowing, rested in her hand with the message from Miku displayed on the screen. It seemed like a horribly rushed message, hence all the text-speak and misspelled words, but she got the general gist out of it. Something had come up, and Miku couldn't come over like she'd said -Just that, nothing specific, just that she couldn't make it. And now here she was, alone, homework and studies for the night finished all in preparation for Miku to arrive. But now, it seemed, her efforts had been all for naught.

How hypocritical of her, she thought, to feel jealous, after what had happened on Christmas. Miku was off somewhere else, and she couldn't help but feel it was with another person. Was Miku somewhere else, she pondered, sharing her innocent smile with someone else or gingerly holding someone else's hand? Were they looking into her vivid aqua eyes and tracing their fingers over her lips that always seemed to tremble nervously before contact? What horrible thoughts to think, and about someone who had proved time and again she loved Luka more than anything! Luka sighed again and rested her arm over her eyes in a dramatic fashion. Miku would never allow herself to do something so inappropriate with another person. Her body and soul belonged to Luka, she'd made sure to make that clear.

"There isn't any reason to worry…" She told herself softly as she slowly sat up. All she wore was a dress shirt and undergarments –not what she normally wore to bed, but she'd more or less made the decision to dress this way for Miku (it had made her feel almost excited when she picked it out). The first few buttons had been undone, revealing her bust slightly and loosely sliding off one shoulder now as she rose. Her hair was tussled and fell in waves in all directions around her, mostly from having been in bed most of the day. But it seemed to fit her sheer-dressed look, so she had decided to keep it as it was. With a trace of worry still in her eyes she looked at her phone one last time before closing it and setting it beside her.

"Miku would never do something like that…"

With that, her eyes traveled to her own form, wrapped loosely in the light, feathery cloth of the shirt. It hung over her curves instead of hugged, but the thin fabric allowed there to be little for the imagination. She wondered, as a light blush alighted her cheeks, how Miku would have reacted, walking into the room and seeing her this way, in nothing but a single bit of clothing that could be removed so easily. She played with the idea she'd be thrilled, and a smile crept across her lips at the thought of Miku trying to restrain the instinct to swoon. Slowly, Luka reached up and rested her hand at the top of her chest, fingers just barely beginning to cup one of the mounds of flesh that were right below.

Oh, how would Miku touch her –lovingly caress her? Her feelings would be hot and needy, but she'd hold back and run her hands over Luka's body as if she were made of porcelain. Closing her eyes, Luka tried to imitate Miku's forcedly chaste touch as she allowed her hand to slowly sweep down her breast before gently cupping the mound from below and holding it slightly aloft. Luka, lost in her fantasy of her lover now, was unable to withhold a desperate gasp as one of her fingers traced across the most sensitive part of her breast that now peeped through the sheer fabric of the dress shirt. She repeated the motion several times, her other hand over her mouth to stifle her now slightly heavy breathing.

"Miku…" she whispered to herself as she slowly laid back down on her bed, her breast still cradled in her hand. But with a few more, teasing rubs, her hand began to wander away, sliding slowly down and around her waist, coming to rest lightly on her inner thigh with the pressure of a feather. Miku would be cautious here, her touch would become conservative once her hands reached the outer boundaries of Luka's most sacred area. Here, she paused, and looked up at her ceiling with a longing gaze. She imagined Miku looking down at her, eyes desperately asking if what she was doing was alright.

"Miku…" she repeated the lovely name of her most precious person as she allowed her fingers to slowly move a few inches upward. "…I trust you."

* * *

Lungs burning and feet threatening to trip her, Miku ran through the shopping center, constantly running into passersby. She couldn't help but be rude, seeing as her gaze was focused on the tops of buildings instead of straight in front of her. She ignored the angry shouts of strangers, yelling at her to watch where she was going, and the occasional blaring of a car horn when she accidentally wandered into the street, and continued to run forward.

Every now and then she'd redial the number that had called her last –the girl who had called out to her in what could possibly be her final moments for help. But she got no reply, and several times the owner of the phone she called hung up before the second ring. It was clear she didn't want to talk anymore, seeing as she'd tried to do plenty of that. Now, she was waiting for a physical act of kindness, and nothing else would do.

"Where are you?" Miku wheezed as she finally allowed herself to stop out of exhaustion. Her legs refused to move another inch unless she knew exactly where she was going. The hot, stinging feeling of tears reached her as salty drops began to build around her eyes in her frustration. She'd only just met this girl, and her means to reach out to Miku had failed miserably, but now Miku was the only thing standing between that poor girl and the icy hand of death. It was a horribly heavy burden, and it weighed her down even more than her exhaustion. She'd just met the girl, and they weren't even really acquaintances, but now she felt solely responsible for this girl's life. And if she allowed it to slip through her fingers simply because she hardly knew her, the guilt would crush her completely.

As she tried to catch her breath she looked down at her phone again –not to call the girl again, but to see if Luka had responded to her message. She'd written it in a rush, and maybe it was illegible, seeing as Luka had yet to respond. A wave of worry washed over her, seeing as Luka seemed so melancholy over the phone, and then so eager at the mention of Miku finally coming to visit. She probably was disappointed, to say the least, and it would take a flurry of apologies and kisses to make up for it. She considered sending her another message about how sorry she was, but decided against it, not wanting to bother her lover any more than she already had.

"Luka, I'm sorry…" She breathed as she lifted her head and coming face to face with the tallest, brightest building in the shopping center. It had just been finished, and housed mostly office buildings, but the outside was quite flashy and bathed the surrounding area in a blue, calming glow from the lights that wrapped around it. And it was so high up, you could probably see around for miles…

…Or, at the very least, the entire shopping center.

With new-found energy, Miku sprang to her feet and took one last, lung-full of air before she dashed forward again, heading towards the towering building.

It was a stretch, but what the girl had said was all she had to go on, and now she had to hope against all doubt that her guess was right. And if it wasn't, and she reached the roof to find no one, there was no doubt in her mind she'd be too late. The girl wasn't going to wait forever, and eventually she was going to lose faith in Miku coming and jump. Miku had only one shot at finding her now, and she was placing all her bets on the building that loomed over her, colossal and beckoning to her with its aqua glow.

She pushed passed more people who were filing out of the building- again not bothering to apologize- as she ran through the lobby against the crowd of business people leaving for the day like a frantic salmon swimming upstream. She got curious, bothered stares from the suited adults, but not much else as she passed them by. And once she reached the elevators she frantically pressed the "up" button again and again, as if doing so would summon the elevator faster. She had to do something, though, since standing still now and just waiting patiently would probably drive her crazy. Even in the elevator, she paced frantically, catching glimpses of her face in the glass walls of the small chamber. She looked horribly nervous, like she was about to face a test she was unprepared for –and in some ways, that was exactly it. If she failed, she had no idea how she'd be able to cope with what happened next.

The elevator didn't take her to the roof, but a floor below, forcing her to stumble her way through the empty (thankfully) halls in search of a stairway. She contemplated trying to find help, but who would help a high school student who had no business being there find the stairs to the roof? No, she was on her own, whether she liked it or not. And in her mind, she was tormented by her own thoughts imagining the unnerving sound of a ticking clock, signaling she was, quite possibly, running out of time.

However, within the stuffy halls, she felt a draft coming from nearby. Stopping dead in her tracks she looked frantically about before a soft banging noise caught her attention. It was the sound of a large, metal door hitting it's doorframe before being pushed open slightly by a cold wind that blew past Miku once more. The door –marked 'staff only'- was left ajar, and possibly on purpose. No one who worked there would go against protocol and leave the door open. Someone who wanted her to pass through it had –at least, that's what Miku hoped.

Without another moment's hesitation, Miku dashed through the door and up the short flight of steps leading to the roof. A cold rush of wind blew passed her, causing her to stumble up the last few steps in a panic, and she reached the rooftop on hand and knee. She frantically began looking around through hair that had been blown in her face. At first, she saw no one through her strands of hair defiantly blocking her vision, and her heart sank like a stone. In fury at herself she raised a fist, ready to smash it angrily against the ground, but then her eyes caught something move just barely in the corner of her vision. Sharply gasping, Miku whipped around as the wind finally did her a service and whisked her hair out of the way of her gaze. There, getting ready to ascend the chain link fence that surrounded the rooftop's perimeter, was the girl, her one, long, silver ponytail waving wildly to the side as another gust of wind blew past.

"STOP!" Miku shouted at the top of her lungs, causing her voice to crack slightly as she clumsily rose to her feet. It seemed the wind had whisked away her words, seeing as the girl didn't respond, and instead continued to climb. Picking up her pace, Miku ran as fast as her tired legs could take her as she made the final leap towards her and grabbed the back of her uniform. "I SAID STOP!" The girl gasped and looked over her shoulder, surprisingly giving Miku the most unwelcome look she had ever seen. Continuing to surprise, the girl immediately tried to break free of Miku's grasp, thrashing as she clung to the fence.

"LET ME GO!" She cried, her shrill voice climbing over the whistling wind that continued to sweep past them. "JUST LET ME GO! I'M TIRED OF LIVING, SO LET ME DIE!"

"NO WAY!" Miku screamed back, and with all the strength she could muster, she forced the girl from off the fence, sending both of them tumbling chaotically to the ground. They landed beside one another, but Miku was quick to roll over before the girl could escape and try to climb the fence again. She positioned herself above the now furiously trembling girl and held down her shoulders and kept her legs straddled at either side of her. One of her knees slid upwards, accidentally riding the girl's skirt up. Tears welled up in the girls eyes as she continued to struggle, but Miku refused to relent.

"Let go!" the girl cried, her voice softer now as her attempts to free herself became weaker and weaker. "Please… just… let me…" A sob clawed its way out of her throat, choking off her words.

"I refuse!" Miku told the girl sternly as she gripped the girl's shoulders tightly and took handfuls of fabric from her uniform in her hands. "You keep on saying you want to die, but you called me –you reached out to me! You don't want to die at all!"

"That's not true!" The girl shrieked back as she tried violently thrashing to one side in desperate attempts to throw Miku off. It only caused her uniform to become bunched up, revealing her stark-white stomach, milky thighs and skinny wrists. Somehow, Miku's eyes wandered, coming to find that each visible patch of skin held countless scars –even her stomach, and even her thighs. Everything seemed to be covered in jagged ridges that stood out even against the girl's pale skin color.

"Then why… did you call me? Miku asked, her thoughts half on the situation at hand and half on the mind-boggling amount of scars that could be seen on the girl's body. The girl opened her mouth to answer, but all that escaped her was a struggling, hoarse cry as she squeezed her eyes shut. "Why would you try reaching out to me if you didn't want help!?"

Suddenly, the girl's body went slack, her attempts to escape from Miku's grasp dying completely before she suddenly began to move again, but this time towards her captor. With a dry, sorrowful gasp, she wrapped her hands around Miku from below her and buried her face against her chest as her body quivered. She didn't say a word confirming or denying Miku's suspicions, but her actions were more than enough.

But what to do, now? They most certainly couldn't stay there forever, and there was no way Miku was going to simply send the girl off on her merry way. No, for the moment, she would have to keep a close eye on her and offer her shoulder for her to lean on, and she could only do that if she were close by. So, without thinking, she sat up, taking the girl with her who still clung to her and now leaned against her, and wrapped her own arms around in in a way someone would do to comfort a crying child. Quietly and gently she shushed her, rubbing her back and allowing her to cry herself out against her bosom.

"Why don't we go someplace warmer?" Miku asked the girl kindly. The crying girl looked up at her with tear-filled eyes through her haphazardly messy bangs, her crimson eyes, now even more red from her crying, looking back at her hopefully through a wall of hair. "You shouldn't be alone tonight, and my mom won't mind if I bring over a friend."

"A…Friend…" The girl weakly parroted before resting her head against Miku's chest again, her body shaking one last time as a dry sob passed through her lips.

"Yes," Miku whispered, a warm smile on her face. "A friend."

Though, in her mind, as she helped the girl to her feet and led her back into the building, Miku couldn't help but have a nagging feeling of guilt. She'd decided against visiting Luka, who no doubt wanted her to, and now she was inviting another girl into her home –a girl who now had her arm wrapped almost lovingly around Miku's and had her body pressed up against it in a seemingly needy way (Miku didn't want to tell the girl anything, but she could feel the girl's now noticeable, plump chest against her arm). But it wasn't like she was taking her back home to do anything, she just wanted to make sure the girl was alright! There was nothing wrong with being charitable –or that's what Miku wanted to think.

'I've done nothing wrong,' Miku recited to herself just as a low, shy voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Y-Yowane Haku…" The girl uttered, just barely loud enough to Miku to hear. The two of them were standing outside the building, now thankfully, safely on the ground.

"Huh?"

"My name…" the girl stammered nervously. "I-I'm Yowane Haku." She looked to Miku before nervously turning away. "I-I'm sorry, I must have really… been a bother." She began to sound choked up, as if she were about to cry yet again. But before she could shed a single tear, Miku rested her hand on top of her head and lightly ruffled her silver hair.

"It's no bother at all, alright?" Miku told her with a kind smile. "And my name's Miku –Hatsune Miku."

"I-It's nice to meet you." Haku said, trying to imitate Miku's expression, but no matter how hard she tried, her lips still quivered. "And… thank you."

* * *

It was almost amazing to Miku how well Haku could act around other people. As soon as she brought her through the doors of her home, she introduced herself to Miku's mother with a pleasant smile and polite bow, and all through their meal she engaged herself in lighthearted small talk. It was almost like she hadn't just tried to leap off a building and plummet to her death and that her body wasn't covered in scars under her uniform. Miku tried not to press the matter, and played along as best she could, but the mask Haku wore bothered her a bit.

However, once the two of them were in the bathroom together, Haku reverted back to the shy, saddened girl she'd met before. The bath had already been run, and Miku was already undressed down to her undergarments, but Haku still remained dressed, nervously rubbing at her arm.

"M-Maybe we should take separate baths…" She muttered.

"Hey, it's alright, we're both girls here." Miku lightheartedly assured her as she put her hair up. Haku looked away, a heavy blush on her face now that she was looking upon her senior half clothed. Her curves were modest, but beautiful to her, and her skin was unblemished –not a single bruise or scar. She felt almost inferior, having skin that was forever ruined. No one would ever look at her the way she looked at Miku, thinking how wonderful she looked with hardly any clothing covering her body. "I'm not going to judge you, so come one, before the water gets cold." She offered the younger girl an inviting smile, silently assuring her there was nothing to be ashamed of. To Haku, this was the smile of a girl who wouldn't judge every little scar that marred her body.

Slowly and carefully, Haku began to remove her clothes in a manner that, under any other circumstance, would have been sensual. She untied her bow with more than enough care and inch by inch pulled the shirt of her uniform up and over her head. The scars Miku had seen before were everywhere –no part of Haku's body was left unblemished. She could also see a few bruises, standing out in deep reds, murky browns and sickly greens against the pale white skin of the younger girl. Miku flinched empathetically, and tried to look past the painful looking injuries.

Haku's form was almost identical to Luka's, if not a little more sickly. She had gorgeous, full curves, and her breasts were almost spilling from a bra that was clearly a size too small for the poor girl. Everything about her was soft, which was hard to tell with her uniform on.

As she allowed her skirt to fall loosely to the floor around her feet, Haku fidgeted nervously in her underwear, arms now crossed in front of her healthy chest and legs tightly pressed together. Her blush was even heavier now, and she looked down at the ground at her feet and away from Miku, who stifled a laugh as she approached the shyly shuffling girl.

"There, is that so bad?" she asked as she rested a hand on Haku's shoulder, who jumped and looked up at her through her bangs like an innocent child about to have her virtue stolen away. Her lips quivered nervously, forming shapes as she tried to speak and failed to do so. Something about Haku's reserved and damaged demeanor seemed to draw Miku in. Maybe she felt sorry for her, maybe she wanted to protect her, but whatever the reason, a feeling washed over Miku as she involuntarily reached up and brushed her cheek lightly with her fingertips.

Withholding a gasp, Miku pulled away and shook her head. Whatever had just come over her, she had to keep it at bay. They were just two girls taking a bath together, nothing else. She took in a long, cleansing breath as she turned around and unclasped her bra and let it fall messily onto the floor, followed by her panties. Haku, meanwhile, watched in shocked silence as everything was revealed to her before her very eyes. She clutched at her chest, as if her heart was threatening to leap out.

"Come on, you can wash yourself first." Miku now nervously told the younger girl as she motioned to the shower head and stool beside the bathtub. She needed a soak, now that she felt dirty for having almost lovingly caressed the skin of another girl besides her beloved. Haku was hesitant, but as Miku sank into the warm water of the tub she finally gathered enough courage and stripped the last of her garments away and carefully approached the stool.

'Good god…' Miku thought to herself as she watched Haku as she approached. 'Even her breasts are covered in scars!'

The two of them remained in silence at first as Haku washed her long, silvery hair. Miku held back looking at the girl, afraid of where her mind would wander if she took in too much of the girl's bare curves. Why was she feeling this way about another person aside from Luka? It didn't make any sense! But every time she dared to look over her shoulder at Haku, she found that her heart would begin to race.

"H-Haku… why do all those girls bully you all the time?" Miku dared to speak up, trying to fill the air and distract herself with something –anything! But Haku didn't respond for the longest time, only continued to wash herself in silence. It seemed, after a while, that she may not even want to answer.

"M-Miku…" Haku finally stammered, breaking the silence.

"Y-Yeah!?" Miku asked, a little too loudly.

"You… wouldn't happen to know a girl named Neru, would you?" Haku questioned, the very name causing a shiver to run up Miku's spine. "She… attends your school, right?"

"Do you know Neru?" Miku questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I… knew her." Haku admitted. "She… she's the reason those girls tease me like that."

"What!?" Miku gasped, splashing up to the edge of the tub and leaning over the edge. "That… that demon! She's the reason you're in all this trouble!?"

"Please don't call her that!" Haku spoke surprisingly loud and clear as she clutched at the sponge she was holding. "She had every right to start it… I mean, if it wasn't for me, she wouldn't be the way she is now… And I loved her."


	20. Chapter 20: Feelings

"WHAT!?" Miku gasped as she splashed up against the edge of the tub. Just hearing the words "love" and "Neru" in the same sentence didn't seem natural, and it intrigued her- so much she momentarily forgot Haku's ripe body was on full display before her eyes. In response to Miku's outburst, Haku hunched over around the foaming sponge she still held tightly in her grasp, defensively curling into a ball. She looked down at the floor tiles like she'd done something wrong.

"I-Is that so wrong?" She stammered, the strength in her voice fading fast as she spoke to her knees that were now knocking together instead of Miku, who was hunched over the edge of the tub in complete, fixated interest.

"Sorry it's just… I'm not going to lie, Neru is a horrible person." Miku stated bluntly, not holding anything back for the yellow-haired devil's sake. At this, Haku straightened up and beads of water flew from her body and hair. She whipped around to face Miku, looking almost insulted, to which Miku backed away into the tub. "W-what?"

"Neru… she's only that way because of me! She's not the horrible person, I am!" Haku bravely stated, strangely enough, before regressing just a bit to turn away and look at one of her arms covered in ridges and trenches made in her skin. Tentatively, she ran a finger along her marred flesh and smiled solemnly. "I deserve every scar for turning her into that… and I know because she told me so…"

Miku withstood every instinct that shouted at her to get out of the tub and hold Haku in her arms. There was a history that she clearly knew nothing about between the girl she'd become attracted to like someone would toward a lost puppy and the demon girl who tried to make her life just as miserable as Haku's, and it appeared to run incredibly deep. Miku wanted nothing more than to pull Haku from the depths she'd sank to and take her to the surface, but she restrained herself from doing so. She was afraid of how far she would go to lift Haku's withered spirits –seeing all those scars and the silver-haired girl's sad, forlorn expression made her want to give her everything.

It wasn't exactly the same, given the situation, but Miku wondered if this was the way Luka felt about her: a younger, innocent girl she wanted to give her love to. That very thought made Miku's insides shuffle nervously. Her heart belonged to Luka, and yet here she was, wanting to wrap another girl in an embrace.

"What happened?" Miku dared to ask before Haku shook her head.

"I'll tell you, but not here." She told her in a low, depressing tone. She gave her scarred arm one last, slow stroke, her fingers running over each horrifying scar. "It isn't the right sort of place, you know?"

Miku had to give it to her, the younger girl had a point. Sharing a supposedly deep and dark past naked in a bathroom didn't seem to fit. But with the promise of telling a dark secret and the opportunity to hear it hanging over their heads, the two girl's bathed in silence, hardly even looking at one another as they went about the motions. Only when they were out, drying their hair did Miku finally sneak a peek at Haku, who was looking at the floor demurely as she tied her hair back into its ponytail, letting damp bangs fall in her face. She'd refused the offer of a pair of Miku's pajamas and put her uniform back on. It seemed almost genius how she'd carefully considered the skin that showed in her uniform and had made sure to leave those small bits of skin unscathed –making sure no one would know, ask or have a reason to draw close. Her torn and tattered form was completely nonexistent to anyone but Miku.

The two of them migrated to Miku's room, where they sat on her bed and remained completely silent. Haku opened and closed her mouth several times, obviously struggling to find words she needed to begin. But this was a story that had never been told, and probably one she never even wanted to tell- obviously she hadn't prepared.

"Neru used to be like me… I mean, not like me exactly, but she was shy." Haku finally began clumsily as she grabbed her wrist and rubbed at it, as if simply recalling her past caused the pain she'd suffered to flare up one scar at a time. "She'd always be on her cellphone, but she wouldn't talk to anyone… except me." She held her hands close to her chest, a quiet, shaky sigh escaping her lips as her entire body visibly quivered. "She confided in me, probably because I didn't talk to anyone either. I was bullied back then, too, but not like now. It was mostly ostracizing, so I didn't have any friends besides Neru, which was perfect for her. She didn't want anyone to know how hurt she was, or else they'd come for her."

"Hurt?" Miku questioned, raising an eyebrow. Neru seemed quite thick skinned, so hearing Haku talk about her being hurt seemed a bit farfetched –it all did, in fact. Neru being quiet and non-confrontational, confiding only in one, lonely girl… the only thing that made sense was her attachment to her cellphone. Seemed old habits die hard.

"She was so alone- I remember her telling me that much. She never saw her parents, and could hardly even remember their faces. One time, during parent's day, she hid in the broom closet and wouldn't come out until the day was over. I don't think I've ever seen someone so sad…" Haku muttered softly. "But her hurt only grew when she finally decided to stand up for me…"

_"Just for a moment, I like to make people feel how I feel, and watch them squirm. It makes me feel better- better I have to suffer always being alone, not having a soul to turn to."_

_"…The older me that tried that tactic only ended up getting hurt…"_

Neru's words echoed in Miku's head as he eyes widened. Without even realizing it, she leaned in closer towards Haku, wanting to hear exactly what happened. Where Neru had been vague, Haku was going to bring light… but looking at Haku's expression, part of her wanted to tell her she didn't have to say. She looked pained, like someone was slowly driving a stake deep into her body.

"What… happened?" Miku hesitantly asked.

"…I finally had opened up to her on the day I'd been bullied especially harshly. A couple of girls had taken my things and dumped them in the pool. I made the mistake of crying in front of her instead of silently listening…" Haku paused, looking like she was holding back a sob. "And she stood up for me. Someone finally stood up for me, and at first it made me so happy… but then the bullies turned to her, and started tormenting her even worse than they had to me." The sob she'd held back all that time finally got the best of her, followed by many more as she buried her face in her hands and shook her head.

"Haku…"

"I watched her become miserable, and I couldn't do anything! I watched and watched, and we grew further and further apart. She stopped talking to me, and sometimes didn't even show up to school. She even tried to kill herself on the school rooftop, but she got caught. They took her to a hospital, and we didn't see her for weeks…" Haku shivered as she slowly lifted her head. Her eyes were full of fear, like she'd just seen a monster materialize before her. "And when she came back, she was a whole different person."

"How?" Miku dared to ask. This was it, the moment when Neru became the monster she was now.

"She still didn't speak to me, and instead went straight for the people that bullied her. Everything happened while I wasn't watching but, hardly a week after returning, one of the girls had committed suicide and the rest of them started following Neru around like her pets." Haku's frown dramatically worsened. "They all looked at her in fear, like they expected her to send them all to hell. So she used that fear and finally set her sights on me…"

"But it wasn't your fault!" Miku interrupted. "Neru chose to stand up for you, and you never asked her or told her to! She wasn't in the right at all!"

"But she was… because of me, she became… she became someone else. She hadn't died the day she tried to kill herself, but the girl she used to be did, and it was because of me." Haku reassured Miku guiltily. "I watched as she was tormented, and did nothing to stop it, so she did the same. She watched as she sent wave after wave of torment, and no matter how much it hurt I took it all because I knew I deserved it."

"But you DIDN'T!" Miku shouted despite herself as she clenched her fists. "You didn't deserve any of that, and you still don't!" She drew back, wrinkling her nose as Haku laughed at her retort. The silver-haired girl pulled down one of her sleeves and presented with a flourish one of the larger scars to Miku and ran her finger over it in a way that almost seemed loving.

"This was my first." She spoke of the wound fondly, which only made Miku react more and more negatively. "Neru told me to do it, actually. She wanted me to suffer just like she had… and it made me feel close to her. You'll never understand, but… I fell in love with her after that because I finally understood. Each of these scars is me understanding how she felt…" She raised her arm and nuzzled her scar-covered limb, her lips brushing against them. " I loved her enough to follow her, even if it meant that the bullying would never stop. I loved her so much, I wanted to show her my body… but she wasn't there. It occurred to me then that maybe she didn't want to see me, even though I wanted to see her so much…" She returned to crying, a tear rolling down her cheek and running down to her arm.

"Haku…" Miku spoke quietly, unsure of what to say. The girl before her was more horribly twisted than she could have guessed. For once, she was watching love drive someone to the brink of madness.

"So I decided to end it but… then I remembered you. You were so kind, so caring… no one has ever done that, you know?" Haku looked to Miku with teary eyes and quivering lips that slowly drew themselves up in a weak smile. "No one has ever stopped people from hurting me, or stopped me from hurting myself. You've shown me a new form of love I've never known…" A blush not from her crying appeared on her cheeks as she turned away for a moment.

"Well I… I couldn't just let them torment you like that, I mean…" Miku suddenly felt incredibly uncomfortable as a gut feeling told her what was coming next. She didn't want to hear those words –she feared what would follow. Haku was so fragile and hurt, she wanted to hold her tightly in her arms, all she needed was a reason. And at the same time, she didn't want a reason at all. Haku wasn't Luka, and yet she was reacting to her as if she were. Her feelings were jumbled and confused, strung along by a heart-wrenching tale of a girl gone horribly wrong.

"I love you, Miku!" Haku interrupted with a gasp, leaning close to the object of her affections while Miku tried to lean away.

"Now, Haku, w-what about Neru?" Miku stammered.

"You may not be able to understand but… it was love at first sight when I saw you on the roof and you chased the bullies away. My heart fluttered in a way it never has." Miku couldn't help but feel insulted, seeing as she knew exactly what Haku was talking about, and she treated her like she didn't even know. "I loved Neru because I came to know how she felt… But I love you because you make me feel so… good inside." Neru's smile grew larger, her shy blush growing the closer she got to Miku.

"Haku, we can't…" Miku tried to protest as she felt one of Haku's hands rest on her thighs while the other came to rest beside her.

"Please… I know this seems wrong, but I want you to know how I feel. I want to show you my love before you turn it away." Maybe it was an accident, but as Haku leaned in, her one hand slipped down and traveled deep into Miku's inner thigh. Gasping in surprise, she fell backward, and Haku boldly followed, clumsily crawling on top of her. Miku's own body betrayed her and wouldn't let her fight back against Haku's sudden advances. She didn't know how to feel, and she hated it.

"No…" She whispered, so softly that Haku probably couldn't hear her. She couldn't push her off of her, or cover her face –the fact Haku was so broken was what stopped her. She dared not deny her only because she feared what Haku would do if she did. So all she could do was utter a "no" that probably never reached Haku's ears, seeing as shortly after she said it, their lips met.

Haku's kiss was gentle and held back, trying desperately to mask something much needier. It almost tickled at first because of how softly Haku's lips brushed against hers. She could feel Haku's warm lips quivering nervously as she slowly put more and more pressure on Miku's. In that moment, Miku became swept up in the utter cuteness of the kiss and made the mistake of kissing the shy girl back, giving her permission to use a little more force.

Or a lot more force.

Haku, who had been a trembling, frightened sheep suddenly transformed into a bold, hungry wolf, and Miku's lips were her prey. Miku moaned in protest, but everything was muffled by Haku's intense kiss. She tried to struggle, but Haku didn't even seem to notice and probably thought Miku's writhing was natural. Pressing her bulging chest against Miku's, Haku boldly pressed forward and forced her tongue inside Miku's lips the moment there was an opening.

It wasn't as if her actions were spiteful, every action seemed to be preformed with love –clumsy, and incredibly domineering, but Miku could tell there was no ill will in anything Haku did. This wasn't like when Neru forced herself on her. Haku wanted to do this because she felt something for Miku, and every kiss and caress begged Miku to accept her feelings. "I'll do anything," they seemed to say. "Please love me back!"

Maybe that was why Miku didn't stop her when one hand wandered up her shirt, when hands that weren't Luka's touched her skin and when trembling fingers that weren't Luka's rubbed and pinched. Maybe that was why she couldn't hold back her moans and her gasps as Haku's hand went from exploring under her shirt to exploring under her skirt. Only when Haku's fingers reached the very hem of her underwear did she finally put up resistance. She jerked away, a sticky trail of saliva strung between their mouths quickly breaking as she did.

"Haku!" she gasped, quickly crossing her legs. Haku blushed, looking ashamed.

"I-I'm sorry, I took it too far, didn't I?" She asked, an unsure chuckle escaping her lips as she traced them with her fingers. "I didn't mean to it just… happened." Miku tried to open her mouth to speak, but couldn't summon a single word. All she could do was stare back at Haku, silently asking her and herself why. And as Haku leaned in to kiss her again on the forehead, Miku finally flinched.

"I'm sorry…" Haku apologized again to her silent companion. "It must be a lot to take in, having another girl do this sort of thing… I don't want to overwhelm you." She gave Miku the kindest of smiles and slowly rose from the bed, straightening out her uniform.

"I love you, Miku, I can't explain it myself, but I know this feeling is love." She spoke again, resting her hand over her quickly beating heart. "And I'll wait forever until you can tell me you love me, too." She looked over her shoulder and gave Miku one last smile before starting to leave. Miku began the process of reaching out and asking for her to stop, but stopped herself and instead watched her quietly leave her room. She waited, rooted to that spot, stone-still until she heard Haku politely bid her mother goodbye –thanking her for the meal- and the front door close behind her. Then and only then could Miku fall back weakly onto the bed. With shaking hands, she touched her lips before tears began to form in her eyes.

She never even told Haku she was in love with someone else! It had never crossed her mind somehow, and now she'd found herself deep in someone else's feelings. She'd let her touch her and kiss her, and she'd, in a way, enjoyed it. Feeling dirty and horrible, she curled into a ball on her bed, dragging she sheets around her as she did, as she sobbed into her mattress.

"Luka… what have I done?"

* * *

The morning brought snow and a bitter cold that matched Miku's heart. Huddled on the street corner, Miku looked down at her feet, her eyes emotionless and bags beneath them revealing she'd gotten very little sleep. Nervously, she scraped one of her feet against the snow-dusted cement, leaving a wet trail beneath her.

Part of her wanted to run. Part of her didn't want to be there in the snow, waiting, with each second boring down on her like a bolder. Her heart pounded against her chest, even though she was at rest, and she'd chewed on her lip from nerves so much it had already begun to become chapped. She didn't want to wait there for Luka, as much as she loved her –she loved her, right? Even though she'd allowed another girl to touch her? She couldn't bear to see her beloved after what she'd allowed herself to do.

But another part of her longed to be held and forget what had happened. Only Luka's arms could make her feel any better, and her lips could possibly spirit away the horrible feelings resting in her chest –or at least, she hoped. Which was why she stayed rooted to the ground, even though natural instincts told her to flee.

"Miku!" An excited voice filled the air, and Miku resisted the urge to flinch. She didn't want to give away the fact anything was wrong, especially when the owner of the voice sounded so overwhelmingly happy to see her. She pulled down the pink scarf Luka had made for her for Christmas so that, that very girl could see her smile as she turned to her.

"Luka!" She cried, and bolted towards the other girl. She knew she couldn't tell her anything that had happened, but at the very least she could apologize with her body. Flinging herself into Luka's arms, Miku wrapped her hands around her lover's luscious form and buried her face into her chest –one for obvious reasons, and two to hide the fact her smile had already begun to falter. "I missed you!"

"I missed you, too!" Luka smiled, wrapping one hand around Miku while the other gently patted her head. "It's unfortunate we couldn't see one another yesterday -maybe some other time?"

"S-sure…" Miku was unable to stop herself from stammering as she lifted her head. "Some other time…" She fought against it, but there was no hiding the look of guilt on her face, and Luka was quick to pick up on the sudden shift in tone.

"Is everything alright?" She asked, worried.

"Yeah, everything's fine!" Miku exclaimed, maybe a bit too loud, as she tried to reapply the smile she'd worn. "I just remembered there's something I need to do at school, that's all." She quickly freed herself from Luka's embrace, but instantly flew forward once more to leave a kiss on Luka's cheek, as if it would make up for her sudden departure.

"Ah-" Luka was hardly able to slip a syllable in, or even return the kiss, before Miku went running off, leaving her alone in the swirling snow.

"I'll see you later!" Miku shouted as she ran, waving her hand frantically in goodbye. Luka responded with a weak wave of her own hand, a visible look of disappointment on her face. Just when she finally got to see Miku, she had to go running off somewhere. And she seemed so… troubled. She could tell when her lover was lying, and she couldn't help but feel her story about having work to do was a bit of a farce. But what reason would she have to lie to her? It didn't make any sense!

A shrill noise broke her from her thoughts. Looking down at the snowy ground below, Luka came to find Miku's cellphone ringing loudly, begging to be answered with a high-pitched tune. She must have dropped it when they hugged, or when she'd run away so quickly. Either way, it had been dislodged from her person, and Luka scooped it up from the ground before it had a chance to be ruined by the elements. She questioned whether she should answer the call or not, noticing it was a number without a name attached. It could possibly be someone calling the wrong number, and she'd be doing Miku a service so that whoever it was wouldn't flood her inbox on accident. So, with a shrug, she answered, giving a careful sounding, 'hello'.

"M-Miku? I'm sorry for calling you, you're probably at school right now…" A voice Luka didn't recognize answered, stammering and stuttering. "I'm sorry again… about last night. I guess I couldn't restrain myself –I mean, I'm just as surprised as you! I'm sorry if… you didn't like it… I love you so much, Miku, I don't want to push you away!"

It felt like the earth vanished from below Luka's feet the moment the mysterious voice on the other line mentioned "love". Her heart seemed to stop as she threw her hand over her mouth to muffle a gasp. What was this girl talking about? What had Miku been doing with her… and why was she conveying the one, sacred word to her that she felt only she was entitled to say to Miku!? Why did this girl have the right!? She felt a surge of anger flow through her veins, and she wanted nothing more than the scream at whoever was on the other line…

But she couldn't. All she could do was stand there as tears welled up in her eyes as the girl on the other line took notice to the silence.

"Miku… Miku are you there, hello?" She questioned, seeming distraught that no one had answered her. "I-I must have lost the signal… I'll call you later alright? I…" she paused before continuing, a smile audible in her words. "I love you, Miku."

Luka was only able to speak once the other girl hung up, leaving her to only listen to the deep whine of the dial tone.

"I trusted you, Miku… I trusted you!"

* * *

"Oh no!" Miku searched about her bag and her pockets, looking frantically for her cellphone. It seemed to have vanished, and she only now noticed during lunch break, when she realized Luka wasn't immediately calling her. Maybe she'd dropped it during her frantic run to school… looking outside at the swirling snow storm, she could only imagine the poor piece of technology didn't have a fighting chance.

Worrying about her cellphone was an excellent change of pace, though. All day, Miku couldn't get her guilt out of her mind. If Luka found out, she'd be devastated! But if she didn't tell her, the guilt would eat away at her until she told her, and there was no doubt Haku would try again to win her affections with her broken spirit and alluring body. It all had begun to make her head hurt- as well as her heart. Being concerned about losing her cell phone was nothing compared to the inner grief over having been unfaithful, even if it was for a moment.

Miku tore herself out of the thoughts she had become lost in before she shed tears. At the very least, she'd try and find Luka. She'd try again to make herself feel better by showering the older girl with affection –though that tactic had failed her that morning. She heaved a sigh and shook her head, trying to regain her confidence as she headed out of the classroom. It was a stretch, considering the weather conditions, but the first place she headed for was the roof.

On her way to the stairs, she bumped shoulders with Gumi, who she tried to get the attention of to possibly see if she knew where Luka was. Strangely, though, all the green-haired girl did was look over her shoulder at Miku with a withering gaze and continued down the hall. Her stomach gurgled nervously as she caught the look in her upperclassman's eyes, and she couldn't help but sense a feeling of foreboding. But, nonetheless, she continued forward, Gumi's almost angry expression haunting her until she came across something much more upsetting.

She hadn't even reached the roof when she came across Luka, who was sitting on a step with her head resting on her knees that she wrapped her arms around. In one of her hands, Miku saw her cellphone tightly clutched. And in the silence of the stairwell, she could hear the quiet noise of restrained sobs.

"L-Luka?" Miku questioned cautiously, taking a single step up towards her companion before her head snapped up. Luka's eyes were puffy and red, and looked back at Miku furiously. Her lips were drawn into a quivering frown, clenched teeth showing themselves from behind her plump, pink lips. "Luka, what's the matter-?" Miku continued before Luka stopped her, holding out Miku's cell phone in front of her.

"…Who is she?" Luka asked, her voice surprisingly deep. Miku had never heard Luka's voice this way, so hurt and almost threatening, keeping her at a distance.

"She?" Miku asked nervously with a jerky cock of her head.

"The girl who called you this morning- don't play dumb!" Luka suddenly shouted, her voice overflowing with hurt. "She said you were together last night… and that… she LOVES you!"

"H-Haku…" Miku let slip before she threw her hands over her mouth.

"So her name's Haku?" Luka muttered, giving Miku a glare. Miku shook her head frantically as tears welled up in her eyes that were already overflowing with unspoken words of sorrow over what she'd done. She didn't want Luka to find out, not like this. "She must be really nice. She sounded really sweet and shy over the phone."

"Luka stop!" Miku pleaded.

"Then tell me what's going on!" Luka demanded, sounding furious and hurt at the same time. "If you don't then… I don't want to see you again, Miku!"


	21. Chapter 21: Cuts

The scene that was playing before Miku felt chillingly familiar. Here they were, with Luka close to tears questioning Miku's faithfulness. But unlike before, Miku couldn't even begin to think of a retort in her defense. In the end, she'd allowed Haku to get close to her –regretted it, but she'd done nothing in attempt to stop her. She took in her curves, and let her touch her. It stung to admit, but she deserved Luka's anger, and whatever fate had in store for her next. And instead of answering Luka's question, she flinched, as if expecting a blow.

"Not even a sorry…" Luka muttered, sounding close to tears as Miku heard the sound of her phone clattering to the ground beyond her with her eyes squeezed tightly shut. "If you can't even be faithful when we're apart when I'm studying, how can I expect you to remain mine when I'm in college?" The anger in her voice withered and died, but the bite in her words was still there, whether she meant it or not. They certainly hurt Miku, each word feeling like a needle driving its way deep into her skin. But Miku still couldn't answer, and her feelings of guilt choked her words.

"Do you even have anything to say to me!?" Luka raised her voice once again. "Anything at all…?" A silence fell between the two, and Miku continued to keep her eyes closed. She didn't want to see any of it: The hurt in Luka's eyes, the pained expression on her face, the defeated way she probably held herself. If this was the last time she ever got to see Luka, she didn't want to see her at all. All she wanted to do was preserve the memories of her smiling kindly at her- just like always- tucked behind her eyelids.

"Fine." Luka spoke in a dead monotone that hardly rose above a chilling howl of wind passing by just outside. "Until you have anything to say to me, we're through." Her voice faltered, and Miku could only imagine the pink-haired angel before her was weeping –crying because of her. But what could she say that would make her feel any better? She'd more or less welcomed Haku's advances in a moment of weakness and pity. Maybe they were drifting apart and maybe this was a sign they weren't really meant to be. Once Luka was gone, off continuing her studies in college, who was to know if more people like Haku came into Miku's life –so able to tear down her walls and waltz in without any defenses to stop them. One by one, more invisible needles dug into Miku, making her feel worse and worse.

A single tear managed to break through Miku's eyes and trickled down her cheek.

"Luka! I-" Miku shouted, finally opening up her mouth and eyes, only to find the stairwell was empty, and she was all alone, in the presence of nothing but her cellphone Luka had left behind, just a few steps above. She wildly whipped around, hoping she'd catch a glimpse of her goddess one last time, maybe her flowing pink hair disappearing past the stairwell doors. But there was nothing. No warmth, no hope, just the cool winter air that flowed through the unheated stairwell and nipped at her exposed flesh. Luka was gone.

Her legs gave out from under her as her vision hopelessly blurred from tears that quickly began to pool around her eyes the moment she'd come to the realization she was alone. Miku fell weakly to the ground and buried her face in her hands as sobs broke free of her lips. At first, her shoulders shook, and then her entire body. "Dying" was the only way she could describe what she was feeling, what with her heart aching so much it made her cringe and her horrifying shortness of breath. It felt like someone was holding her underwater, and her lungs were filling with liquid. Soon, she'd stop breathing altogether, drowned in her misery and sinking deep into the depths of despair.

"Luka…" She sobbed, drawing in sharp, short breaths that made her lungs ache and her throat burn. "Luka… I…" Her plea to the silence around her was cut short by the whining noise of her cellphone. Who in the world could be calling her at a time like this? She didn't want to talk to anyone, not now. But, despite that, she sluggishly turned and crawled up to the buzzing device. On the screen was a number without a contact name, but a number she knew very well already.

With an angry gasp she grabbed the phone tightly in her hand and raised it up into the air as it continued to ring, the din of the high-pitched melody beckoning her to answer. She gripped tighter, her tear-filled eyes focused on the stairs below. One, quick thrust and she wouldn't have to speak to Haku again!

…But then who would she speak to? Who would she cry to, and who would hold her? Who would caress her and kiss her and… love her? Another needle punctured her as she came to realize the painful truth: Haku was all she had left now. Haku would hear her, and hold her and kiss her. Haku and all her scars and suffering would understand. Haku, who knew what it was like to lose someone she loved, would understand.

Slowly and shakily, she lowered her hand and inched the phone closer to her face before flipping it open and taking the call. And somehow, it felt as if she were signing her life away with that one, simple action.

"Haku…"

* * *

"So you just left her there!?"

Luka felt her face twitch in annoyance as her resolve from what happened during lunch break was questioned. She looked up from the table to her detractor: Kaito, who was sitting next to Gumi who silently sipped her soda and listened, looking lost in thought. Miss Meiko had caught an unfortunate cold, so the three of them had gone to a fast food joint nearby. Ritsu and Gakupo would have gone along, but the older boy insisted on studying, and Ritsu insisted on being attached to his hip. They had no idea just how much Luka envied them, both for the fact that Gakupo could focus on his studies and for the fact his lover was so hopelessly devoted to him.

"What else was I supposed to do, Kaito? She went completely mute and wouldn't even look at me!" Luka snapped back.

"Force her to talk, or something, I don't know!" Kaito angrily answered back, deciding to imitate his companion by sipping on his drink as well.

"Wow, real insightful of you there, Romeo." Gumi sarcastically commented, earning her a rather hurt look from Kaito. "But, really, I sort of have to ask the same thing. I know you're mad, and you should be but… you just left here there on the stairs?"

"Oh god, not you too, Gumi." Luka sighed. "I thought you were on my side." She felt a little selfish in saying that – a phrase people their age stopped saying in elementary school- but she desperately wanted someone to assure her what she'd done was right.

"Really, I'm on the side of you and Miku being the perfect couple I thought you were…" Gumi shrugged. "Miku screws up a lot, but I root for the both of you. It's almost disappointing to hear you ended things so coldly. It isn't like you at all."

Both Kaito and Gumi flinched as Luka unexpectedly slammed her hands against the table and quickly rose from her seat. Maybe it was instinctual, but Gumi reached out and grasped her companions arm. Just the very sight of it made Luka hurt even more. It seemed everywhere she looked, there were couples, and here she was, all alone.

"I didn't end it- Miku did!" Luka cried, her open hands slowly clenching into fists. "She ended things by going off and having a fling because I was too busy to give her attention. And I won't be around as often when I'm in college –If I even get in!" It felt like all of Luka's problems were crashing in around her –first her troubles with Miku, and now her stress about entrance exams. "She isn't ready, she's proven that."

"But, did she really?" Kaito slowly asked after a short silence, followed by Luka groaning in frustration and leaving the table without another word. She figured her friends could help her- Gumi especially- but it seemed she was alone. Maybe that was best: to just remain on her own and focus on her studies and her reputation, just like she had before. There would be no one to distract her or drag her down or… hold her or kiss her or-

Luka shook her head as she stepped out of the fast food joint and into the cold. She looked out at the snow swirling madly around before her, and, for a brief second, contemplated going back inside. But then she'd look like a fool, and it would only prove to Kaito and Gumi that she was truly unsure of what she was doing. She was sure, she was totally sure… wasn't she? Heaving a sigh that formed a massive white, translucent cloud in front of her face, Luka trekked into the cold, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket.

"Jeeze, Luka's normally so composed." Kaito observed in awe as the two of them watched Luka tromp away. "Should be follow her?"

"No, no, this is a problem she has to deal with on her own." Gumi told him sternly. "It's best we stay out of her problems so she can learn to deal with this sort of heartache by herself. She's going to be apart from Miku for a long time while she's in college, so she's going to deal with problems of her own. Her working this out without our help is going to make her stronger, I'm sure of it."

"Well, aren't you the makings of an awesome parent." Kaito snorted in jest.

"Yeah, and you're going to totally be a stellar dad." Gumi rolled her eyes, going back to her drink.

"Want to find out?" Kaito asked with a playful cock of his eyebrow, to which Gumi responded by choking on her soda in surprise. The blue-haired boy just sat back and smiled, enjoying his companion's reaction.

"God, Kaito." Gumi huffed, a noticeable red tint in her cheeks. "Sometimes you can just be so… annoying." Kaito only laughed in response as Gumi returned to drinking in attempts to cool down.

* * *

Miku sat quietly on her room, her chin rested on her drawn up knees and a now-cold cup of tea in her hands. She'd cried herself out over the phone with Haku, and now she felt void of anything. She simply stared blankly forward, behaving like she didn't have company over, who remained equally silent, but looked over to the quiet girl with concern.

Haku sat beside Miku on her bed, allowing the silence to continue as she sipped the last remaining drops of tea she had left in her own cup. In a flood of tears and sobbing, Miku had begged for her to come over, unable to utter an understandable sentence about what exactly had happened. But, despite that, Haku came over right away after school, even arriving at Miku's house before her and having a pleasant conversation with her mom when she arrived. Haku was ready and able to be by her side in Miku's darkest hour, and it shown a little light on Miku's now cold and aching heart.

"I'm sorry…" Haku finally uttered, hanging her head. "I had no idea you already had a girlfriend… I never bothered to ask. I shouldn't have called you, I knew it was a mistake-"

"It isn't your fault." Miku cut in, stopping Haku before she escalated into hysterics. "I should have told you, but instead, I let you do what you wanted… I guess I couldn't say no to you."

"I never gave you the chance, and I understand. After seeing what I've done to myself, I wouldn't be able to tell me, "no", either." Haku laughed uneasily, casting a sad, sideways glance at Miku. "I almost feel like I took advantage of you. Even without trying I end up hurting people…"

"Please, Haku, don't." Miku shook her head as she bent down and sat her cup of cold tea on the floor. "Luka and I probably wouldn't have lasted anyway. She's graduating this year, and I don't even know if I would last without her once she's left."

"I'll never leave you!" Haku suddenly burst out, and Miku quickly straightened up in surprise, looking back at the silver-haired girl beside her who now had her hands over her mouth. "I…I mean, if you want me to. I'll be by your side whenever you want me, and I'll never leave you alone. I could be your closest friend or… something more, if you'd have me." A blush could be seen between her fingers as she averted her eyes. "What am I saying, you probably want nothing to do with me, now…"

Without a word, Miku suddenly threw herself at her and wrapped her arms around the younger, surprised girl.

"M-Miku!" Haku stammered, though her words were laden with nerves, her body seemed to be more than willing to embrace Miku back. She could feel Haku's soft, ripe body press itself closer to her as she, too, wrapped her arms around Miku's now quivering form. Resting her head on her shoulder, Miku finally found what little tears she had yet to shed and cried. She loudly sobbed as she buried her face into Haku's shoulder, while the younger girl soothingly rubbed her back, not seeming troubled at all by Miku's sudden burst of emotion.

Eventually, her tears had run dry, and all that came up now were dry sobs and hiccups. Crying, somehow, had sapped her energy, and now Miku weakly rested herself against Haku like a ragdoll as the girl continued to lovingly stroke up and down her back, quietly responding to Miku's last, choked bits of sadness with kind shushes. Something about being in Haku's arms made Miku feel safe and warm, like she was shielding her from the sad, Luka-less reality she was having trouble facing. Haku held her like a parent trying to sooth an upset child, and her method seemed to work wonders on Miku. Before long, she was breathing evenly and now simply laid slack against the younger girl, arms still wrapped around her and head still resting against her shoulder. If possible, there was a chance she could maybe fall asleep like this, wrapped in Haku's embrace.

But despite the calm, there was still a slight pain just swimming below the surface. She was certain the moment she would have to pull away from Haku, it would surface and consume her. Haku's arms seemed to be the only thing protecting her, and it filled her with a sense of panic.

"It hurts…" she muttered into Haku's uniform. "This whole thing just… hurts so much."

"I… might know a way to make the pain go away." Haku offered before a few, soft clicks reached Miku's ears. Curiously, she looked down, noticing an unsheathed razor blade now forced between them, held aloft in Haku's hand.

"What!?" Miku gasped, pulling away out of fear of the potential weapon digging into her. Haku held it so close to her, and was handling the harmful object without an inkling of fear. She elegantly turned it over in her hand as the metallic blade shown in the light of Miku's room.

"I swear, it helps!" Haku assured her, reaching out and taking one of Miku's wrists. "It will make you feel all better!"

"N-no!" Miku gasped, wrenching her arm away from Haku in fear and holding it protectively close to her body. Her heart was beating horribly fast now as she looked back at Haku in terror. "It will… it will hurt! It's not going to help me at all!"

"But I promise it will, and I promise it won't even hurt. Even when I did it my first time I hardly felt a thing." Haku looked down at the razor blade in an almost romantic manner, like she was about to swoon over it. Just like how Miku was holding her arm close, Haku held the harmful object close to her, pressing it against her chest without an inch of fear of being cut. "A razor like this won't judge you and, even though it cuts, it's not out to harm you at all. It only exists to siphon out your misery, and it does so with ease. No one uses it because they're afraid, but really, there's really no harm in doing it at all. Sure, you're like me, with your body covered in scars, but you'll _feel_better. A razor is better than any friend of therapist, and does its job quickly and efficiently." As she spoke, Haku rolled up one of her sleeves, revealing her pale, scar-covered arm.

"Haku, wait!" Miku gasped, throwing her hand over her mouth as Haku held the razor to her own skin and smiled. She looked up at her, and Miku could only shake her head in disbelief.

"I'll show you, look…" With a quick swipe, Haku had run the blade over her skin, and a deep crimson line formed across it, which soon began to spill forth a trickle of her own blood. Miku flinched backward, but didn't look away. "It doesn't hurt at all, and in fact, I feel a lot better." Haku held her bleeding wrist up to her face, bring it so close it almost seemed as if she were about to kiss it. "All of your sorrows, all of your pain –you can just bleed them out, and you're a new person again." She paused and looked at Miku expectantly. "Please, Miku, just once. It hurts to see you so upset and I know from experience you'll feel so much better!"

Miku was hesitant, reaching out and pulling away several times before finally, gingerly, taking the razor blade from Haku, who smiled in a congratulatory manner. Miku carefully handled the blade, as if the slightest wrong move could end her completely. She could see her reflection in the metal, looking back at her with red, puffy eyes that were full of painful sadness and a frown that almost made her want to start crying again. She then turned to the wrist of her other hand, untouched and smooth. Her heart began to beat faster as she carefully rolled up the sleeve just enough so that she could make the cut.

"You… you promise I'll feel better afterward?" Miku asked shakily, looking to Haku who gazed back at her warmly.

"I promise." Haku smiled. "Just one cut is all it takes."

* * *

In the brief moments before Miku willingly ran the razor across her skin, she thought of Luka's smile.

* * *

Luka felt like a zombie as she lay on her bed. Her study materials that once sat on her desk were messily swept across the top and some on the floor from when she'd come home. The walk through the snow hadn't calmed her down at all, and when she finally returned home she must have looked completely disheveled, because every maid and butler she ran into on the way to her room looked at her in fright and stepped out of the way. And when she reached her room and slammed the door behind her, her eyes fell on her schoolwork, laid neatly out for her on her desk, waiting for her to memorize and take notes on, just as always. Just as always, it sat there once again, to be the thing that kept her from everything else… even the people she loved. It mocked her silently, and in her inconsolable state, she couldn't stand it.

_Maybe if I hadn't been so consumed in her studies, then maybe Miku wouldn't have…_

No sooner had that thought passed through her mind did Luka fly into a rage that surprised even her when it was over. She knocked over stacks of books and tore apart papers, scattering everything that had been so neatly awaiting her in a wild frenzy of anger and sadness. The only thing that stopped her was a sheet of paper she had clutched in her hands near the end of her fit, ready to tear it apart like all the others. But, to her surprise, it was a piece of sheet music –specifically the piece her and Miku had sang: "Magnet". She had no idea how it got mixed in with her study materials, but she didn't care to find out. Instead she held it close to her face and cried, soaking the paper with her tears and causing the ink to run. She still held the crumpled, tear-spotted piece of paper as she weakly lay in bed. The hand that clutched the paper was the same hand where she wore her ring. It glinted in the faint light drifting in through her window, and just looking at it formed a lump in Luka's throat. However, no matter how sad it made her to look at it, she didn't have the strength or courage to take it off, just like she couldn't rip apart the sheet music.

She was angry at Miku –oh, so very furious- and afraid for their future but… she couldn't bring herself to hate her, no matter what she did.

"Y-young miss…" Came a timid voice from beyond her door. Sleepily and slowly, Luka sat up, rubbing her eyes with her free hand. It was one of her maids, sounding a bit nervous –maybe because she'd heard Luka's outburst from before.

"Yes?" Luka asked, languidly.

"O-One of your… fiends is- Ah! U-Um, excuse me!" What sounded like a mad scuffle seemed to break out in the hallway, mixed with sharp whispers and words of discontent and trouble from Luka's maid before Gumi came stumbling in, pushing past the help with a look of worry on her face. She seemed completely out of sorts, and was completely out of breath.

"Gumi! What are you doing here?" Luka asked, feeling a bit worried herself. Whatever Gumi was there to do, she couldn't be carrying any good news. She looked frightful, like she was late for something and was fighting and losing against the clock.

"It's Miku!" Gumi finally managed to say after a few, troubled breaths. She panted a few more times before continuing, allowing tension to rise without meaning to. "I stopped by her house to see if she was alright and… oh god…" She paused, looking like she was regretting what she had to say.

"Gumi, what is it!?" Luka seethed, clutching she piece of sheet music tightly in her hands. Now she knew whatever bad news Gumi had, it had to do with Miku.

"She's in the hospital!" Gumi shouted. "Miku's in the hospital!"

"What!?" Luka gasped, and before anyone could say anything more, she bolted out of the room, leaving the crumpled sheet music to flutter to the floor.

Something horrible must have happened, and the moment it happened, Luka hadn't been there. She'd been angry, but now she was full of nothing but worry –nothing but love. When it all came down to it, she could see past Miku's mistakes because, no matter her feelings, Luka still loved her. And the news of Miku being in the hospital stirred within her a strong, dizzying feeling of panic. She rudely pushed past her maids and butlers and clumsily tripped down the hallways and stairs before she got to the front door. As soon as she opened it, she was met with a rough, freezing wind that kicked up snow and spat it at her. Luka stood in the doorway for only a second, shivering briefly, before running out into the cold –without both shoes or jacket.

Fighting against the wind, it wasn't long before Luka began to grow weary, and her feet began to scream in pain from running through the snow. She had barely left her own front lawn before she slipped and fell into the snow. Staggering back up, she looked down at her ring as tears welled up in her eyes once more.

"Miku…" She sobbed, as another voice behind her climbed above the billowing wind.

"Luka! Luka, you idiot!" It was Gumi, a pair of shoes and a jacket for her friend in tow. "How far were you expecting to get without even shoes!? By the time you'd get to the hospital, they'd have to admit you for frostbite!"

"S-Sorry…" Luka muttered, her teeth chattering. "I guess I got a little… carried away."

"It's fine, I mean… people do a lot of stupid shit when they're in love." Gumi smiled and tossed Luka the items she had brought her. "Now come on, Kaito more or less borrowed his dad's car. It will be a lot faster than running barefoot, I assure you." Once Luka had slipped on her shoes and wrapped herself in her coat, she offered her friend her hand to take.

"Now let's go see if love is the best medicine."

* * *

Despite her worry, Luka forced herself to compose as she walked into the waiting room of the hospital. The air was sterile, and a voice from an overhead intercom called for various doctors and nurses to come to whichever odd room. Luka could never pinpoint why, but everything about hospitals made her absolutely nervous.

She looked around for reception, only to spy several familiar people sitting in the waiting room: Miku's mother, and her two close friends, Rin and Len. All three of them were messily hunched over in their seats, and upon closer inspection it appeared they all were asleep. Grief and worry must have taken a lot out of them, Luka figured, as she approached them, hopefully to find some answers about what happened to Miku and if she was alright. Her stomach churned nervously, unsure if she was ready for the answer they would give her.

"I wouldn't wake them up. Right now they can only find peace in sleep." Miku jumped and turned around, coming face to face with a silver-haired girl peering back at her through her bangs with a look that made her feel uneasy. And for some reason, she regarded the three sleeping with familiarity, and with an unfitting smile.

"I-I'm sorry, do I-?" Luka began to ask.

"Oh, we've already met –well, we've talked… well, you didn't really say anything. You must be Luka, I've heard a lot about you." The girl grinned.

"Y-You're that girl… Haku, was it?"

"Oh, so Miku told you my name, how nice." Haku continued to grin as she stepped closer and lowered her voice. "I don't think you'd be very welcome here. After all, Miku's here because of you."

"What!?" Luka took a step back and looked back at Haku with a look of surprise and anger.

"I was there when she did it- I know the root cause of all her pain." Haku chuckled. "Poor thing, I couldn't stop her before she ran that razor blade across her wrist. You must have hurt her a lot more than you realized."

"N-No… Miku would never…"

"Well she did, and it's all because of you." Haku informed her coldly. "She doesn't need you around anymore and you're more poisonous than you realize. I'll be Miku's happiness now, and you can go back to your studies. If you don't stay away, you might hurt Miku even more, and I bet for sure you don't want that."

"Why…?" Luka asked, completely dumbfounded as her heart began to quickly sink.

"Because I care." Haku said, her demeanor changing as her voice became chillingly kind. "And people like you don't deserve people like Miku."


	22. Chapter 22: Trials

Miku awoke in a panic, not knowing where she was at first. Heart pounding frantically against her chest, she quickly threw herself into an upright position- and soon regretted it. The room spun around her, and even when she forced herself to sit perfectly still, her surroundings still swirled and bowed before her eyes. She placed a hand on her now-aching head, moaning in discomfort before she realized something tightly wrapped around her wrist. Lowering her arm, her confused haze left her almost instantly as she came face to face with her wrist bound in bandages. Slowly, she clenched and unclenched her fist, noting how difficult it was to do something as simple as move her fingers.

She remembered it now, every little detail. Haku had offered up a possible chance to escape her pain and, like a fool, Miku had taken it and gone too far. She'd ran the razor blade across her wrist with too much force and pressed it against her skin too roughly, and before she knew it, a river of blood came pouring out of her arm. She was so shocked back then that she didn't even scream. All she could do was look down at her profusely bleeding wound –still tightly clutching the razor blade- and try to come to terms with her death. There was no way she would live through losing that much blood, she had figured.

The events leading up to the present were blurred together and were nothing but echoes and fuzzy images –maybe because she passed out sometime after Haku went scrambling out of the room to get help. She didn't remain there, and she didn't return, as far as Miku could remember. She had left her to slowly sink to the floor and watch in silent horror as her very essence of life came flowing out of her. She remembered calling out to Haku in desperation, but she hadn't the slightest clue if she'd even called out loud enough, or spoke at all. Her mother rushing in, frantic, far off cries of people shouting, the whine of an ambulance siren, the terrified looks of her friends –everything passed through her mind's eye in short spurts with every image seeming faded. The only thing she remembered clearly was the fact she couldn't see Haku. Half conscious, she tried to seek her out, and had found everyone but her. She remembered her mother, looking devastated and guilty, and Rin and Len had even rushed in before she was taken away. But Haku… where had Haku gone?

_"I'll never leave you!" _

Slowly, Miku slipped back down into the hospital bed, her bandaged arm still held aloft. Besides the numb feeling and the presence of the bandages, something else seemed off… or missing.

"Ah!" Miku weakly exclaimed, once she realized this was that hand where she wore the silver ring Luka had given her. All of her fingers were bare now, and panic began to rise within her. Even though it made her feel like she were about to faint, Miku looked around in a dizzying manner, as if the tiny piece of jewelry would be easy to find just by looking. However, much to her relief, she found it resting on the single beside table, along with a few more personal effects of hers she had on her person –her cell phone, a few random things she'd shoved in her pockets- all beside her uniform that was folded neatly on the tabletop. Looking at the silver band, Miku heaved a sigh of relief.

'Why am I so relieved?' She found herself thinking, catching herself the moment after she'd expelled all the air from her lungs into one, long sigh. What was the point of worrying about the ring Luka had given her if Luka no longer wished to see her? She wanted desperately shut off her feelings, like flipping a light switch, but it seemed it wasn't that simple. Just looking at the ring made her heart ache.

"I had a feeling you wouldn't follow my advice." A sharp voice cut through the silence like a knife, and Miku quickly turned her attention away from the ring to face her visitor who was leaning against the doorframe and looking back at her with belittling, yellow eyes. "And just look where it's gotten you."

"N-Neru!" Miku stammered, attempting to sit up a second time in the presence of the yellow-haired demon girl. Out of all the people to visit her in the hospital, she was the last she'd ever expect. "What in the world are you doing here?"

"To rub how wrong you were in your face, of course." Neru rolled her eyes and stepped into the room. "You just had to keep reaching out that sad, innocent girl, didn't you? You must be more naïve than I thought, going out of your way to get close to someone you were warned about in advance! I told you that girl is better off dead –just look at where trying to befriend her has gotten you. Now you're just like her, all sad and cut up."

"Shut up, she was trying to help!" Miku defended. "I just… I just didn't do it right." She looked down at her wrist. There was no doubt she'd have a scar –a risen, jagged patch of flesh, just like the ones Haku had all over her body.

"Phht, didn't do it right –are you even listening to yourself, idiot?" Neru snapped. "That girl is rotten, and now she's trying to drag you down so she finally has someone to wallow in her own self-pity with!"

"Stop talking about Haku that way!" Miku shouted, pausing as she held her head and tried to catch her breath. Getting so worked up was turning to be more of a workout that she thought. "It's your fault she's like that: covered in scars with no friends –all because you got bullied and blamed it all on her!" Neru's expression suddenly became sharper than usual, hitting Miku with a glare that seemed to make her heart stop.

"Mind running that by me again?" She snarled.

"You… you tried helping her… and it ended up getting you bullied, right?" Miku questioned, slowly sinking more and more into her pillow as she shrank away from Neru's sudden change in mood. "You were driven to try and commit suicide, and when you came back… you took out your anger on Haku." At the end of it all, the way Neru was looking, like she was trying to kill her with her gaze, made Miku feel unsure of what she was sure was accurate.

"Is that what the little bitch told you?" Neru hissed, slowly approaching Miku, who obviously had nowhere to run. "She buttered you up with a story about how she was the victim, and I was the big, bad bully who turned everyone against her? Of course she'd sell some fake sob story, you're probably the only one stupid enough to show that monster a shred of kindness!"

"What are you… talking about?" Miku asked, her body completely tense, hoping that Neru had the decency to not hit a girl in a hospital bed. Haku, a monster? That seemed impossible- she was the farthest thing from a monster! If anything, that word should have been reserved for Neru, not Haku.

"You've been lied to, idiot." Neru explained harshly, a sharp frown on her face. "And that story she told you is so far from the truth that it hurts."

"If that's a lie then tell me what really happened, then." Miku timidly demanded, not buying Neru's claim despite her fear. Neru heaved a bothered sigh and rubbed the bridge of her nose before pacing back a few steps and allowing Miku to relax a bit.

"Haku was a merciless bully before I graduated. Back then, she was exactly as I am now, letting people have a taste of pain simply because she felt it was necessary. She wasn't exclusive, though, she tormented everyone. She caused students to transfer or shut themselves away from all human contact, she boasted having made a few teachers give up and quit, and she'd brag and laugh whenever one of her targets finally gave up and killed themselves." Neru wove her tale bitterly, every word weighed down with hatred. "She was never a timid, picked upon kid like she told you –to us, back then, she was the devil come to drag us all to hell."

"How did she end up like how she is now, then?" Miku challenged. "You said before that you tried to help her-"

"I did. I tried to make her change her ways." Neru admitted, not seeming at all proud about her tale of standing up to what she explained to be a horrible tormentor. "I was in my final year, and finally had enough of her. I tried to play the hero to all my fellow students, and tried to make Haku see herself for who she really was… That was a mistake." Swiftly, Neru lifted one of her arms and rolled up the sleeve. There, along her wrist, were two painful looking scars, crossing over one another to make an "X" shape. "She took all of the power she had and focused it all on me. In a way, I did save everyone, but by sacrificing myself, and I regret having ever done it."

"That still doesn't explain-"

"If you stop cutting me off, I'll get to it!" Neru groaned, hiding her wounds from view and, maybe in an act of self-consciousness, shoved her hand into her pocket. "I learned then that you won't ever get ahead by trying to be a hero. After that, I was carted away after trying to kill myself and placed in a mental facility by order of my parents who didn't even bother to return home when their daughter tried to kill herself. And it was there that I decided to beat Haku at her own game, and became the villain. As soon as I returned to school, I took her down with nothing but a few text messages and stray rumors. Her defenses were nonexistent, seeing as she never expected someone to fight back." Neru's expression changed to that of a smirk as she chuckled to herself.

"…I don't believe you." Miku muttered. "How do you even expect me to believe anything you say, anway!?"

"I don't." Neru told her as-a-matter-of-factly, giving Miku a glowering look. "If you decide to believe Haku's sad tale about how I turned on her and turned a blameless angel into a target, you can go right on ahead. I mean, just look at where it's gotten you so far –it's hilarious! She's doing a better job at breaking you down than I did –I mean, when I went after you and Luka, I never even considered making you try to kill yourself."

"I wasn't trying to kill myself!" Miku shot back. "I was just trying to make the pain stop, that's all." Her voice wavered at the end as she looked back to the ring on the table.

"Heh, well whether you were trying to do that or kill yourself, it looks like you failed to do either." Neru snorted. "And, in the end, I wonder where your precious Haku is now. I saw your mom and your two annoying friends in the waiting room, but no sign of the girl who I'm sure handed you the razor blade you used. You'd think she'd be guilty, or worried, but she's not even waiting with the rest of the peanut gallery outside. Some friend." With a single huff, Neru turned around and started leaving without another word.

"Why… Why did you even come here!?" Miku shouted at her back, a mixture of confusion, anger and doubt battering her brain like a raging storm.

"I told you." Neru told her, looking over her shoulder. "To rub how right I was all over your sorry face. Maybe another scar or two will make you realize that cruel and uncaring Neru was telling the truth- or maybe the loss of someone else who loves you."

* * *

_"I had something important I had to do."_

Those were the words Haku had given Miku in regards to why she hadn't remained at the hospital. She heaped on sorry after sorry, promising to make it up to Miku, but the fact she'd left for any reason at all was something that prodded the back of Miku's mind without any mercy.

Along with that, there was also the fact that Luka hadn't come to see her, either. She had to stay in the hospital for a day, mostly so the doctors could keep an eye one her, and Rin and Len had made damn sure to tell everyone they knew about her… accident. They at least had the common courtesy to not tell anyone it was self-inflicted, and from what she heard from each person who came to visit with flowers and best wishes, they'd come up with some fantastical tale about an unfortunate trip with a knife. A lot of people had stopped by –classmates, friends of Rin and Len, teachers (bearing homework, much to Miku's dismay)- but Luka remained absent through it all. She tried to make sense of it, seeing as, after all, she'd said she was through with their relationship…but that only hurt her more.

And despite it all, she ended up donning the silver ring again, despite her better judgment. She stared at it the whole drive back from the hospital back to her home, watching as it reflected the now starry skies that passed overhead as her and her mom drove. And she continued to stare at it, a feeling of longing growing in her heart that trumped how she'd wished Haku had stayed when she'd been rushed to the hospital. She'd wanted Haku to be there, but her heart, deciding to be its own, free thinker, wanted desperately to see Luka.

The later, obviously, didn't show, but shortly after Miku returned home, Haku finally dropped by to see how she was doing. Again, she heavily apologized, and even though Miku assured her she was forgiven, the feeling of disappointment still lingered.

"Can I see it?" Haku asked. The two of them were up in Miku's room –Haku's arms wrapped warmly around Miku's body while she tried to do the homework that had been dropped off for her.

"See what?" Miku asked, tapping her pencil against one of the papers while she turned her attention to the younger girl who was now pressing her form against her eagerly.

"You know…" Haku grinned as she reached down and traced a finger down Miku's bandaged wrist. "I want to see the wound." Miku gave her a look and tore her wrist away from Haku's touch and held it close to her body.

"Why do you want to see that? That's a little weird…" Miku muttered, looking apprehensively at Haku who looked back at her like what she requested was perfectly normal.

"It's not weird at all." She whispered into her ear in an almost sensual way. "It's beautiful." She reached around Miku's body and tugged at the bandages. "Come on, why are you being so cold? I showed you all of my scars, now it's time to show me yours." Her picking and tugging began to loosen the bandages, and as Miku tried to pull away she ended up falling back instead, taking Haku with her. The two girls ended up on the ground, Haku positioned above Miku with her fingers still grasping at Miku's bandages. "Please, I want to see!" She seemed so excited to see something as simple as a scar, it was almost… creepy. And before she could protest anymore, Haku finally unraveled the bandages enough that the wound was visible, and she gasped in wonder as she held Miku's arm aloft.

The line was slightly jagged, and obviously had yet to fully heal to become a ridge standing out against her otherwise flawless skin. Just looking at it made Miku flinch, but it filled Haku with wonder as she nuzzled her face against it.

"It must have felt wonderful to bleed out all those feelings for the girl who hurt you so much." She purred. "And I'll be here to fill that void now that she's gone."

"…Haku…" Miku paused, unsure if she should even mention what was on her mind. She seemed so happy, even if it was over something as strange as what could have possibly been a fatal wound. "Please… I want you to be happy but… I think I still have feelings for Luka."

"What?" Haku's voice grew chillingly cold almost immediately as she looked back at Miku through her bangs with a piercing stare. The look she gave her stung more than the sight of her wound.

"I… I miss her." Miku mumbled, trying to avert her killer gaze. "While I was in the hospital, I wanted to see her, and when I cut myself, I thought of her face. I want to give myself to you, Haku, since you're so ready and willing to love me… But I still have feelings for-"

"Shut up!" Haku shouted angrily, letting go of Miku's wrist and roughly taking hold of her shoulders instead. "Don't you dare talk about that girl! She hurt you, remember, she's the reason why you did that to yourself!"

"But… weren't you the one who told me to do it?" Miku questioned, constantly regretting the things she was saying the more Haku glared at her. "…If you hadn't brought up cutting myself, I never would have even considered it."

"But… but I love you!" Haku snapped, her voice full of anger, but also desperation. "Luka doesn't want you anymore, so why even bother!? You shouldn't have feelings for a person who cast you aside and hurt you! I want to love you, Miku! I'll love you and only you, and never let you go! So stop thinking about that stupid Luka!" Her last words were a scream through clenched teeth, and they left Miku looking up at Haku blankly. She'd never expected such harshness to come from someone so timid and broken. She gripped her shoulders like she wanted to tear her arms off, she glared down at her like she was trying to burn holes in her skin, and there was something almost hateful in her voice as she mentioned Luka.

"Haku…" Miku spoke softly, trying to choose her words carefully. "If I'm not supposed to love someone who hurt me… why did you love Neru?"

"What are you talking about, I never loved Neru!" Haku shouted back furiously. "When did I-!" She cut herself off, a look of shock replacing her set-to-max glare.

"You told me you loved her, don't you remember?" Miku raised an eyebrow as Haku relinquished her shoulders and threw her hands over her mouth.

"R-Right, I forgot… I…" Haku stumbled to find the words to say as Miku looked on in surprise. The realization that Neru could have, indeed, been telling the truth left her breathless. And, really, what exactly had she bore witness to just now? Was what Haku had done the act of a forsaken girl, or someone who had more of a bite to them. She'd gripped to hurt, and she spoke to threaten and guilt Miku, and the look she gave her was the look of someone who knew more than the life of an outcast.

"Haku, are you lying to-"

"It's me or her, Miku! The girl who doesn't love you anymore, or the girl who will do anything for you! It's a simple choice, don't make it complicated!" Haku shouted. "You don't know how long I waited for someone to finally love me!"

"…" Miku slowly drew in breath, her heart pounding wildly. "Haku, I think it's time for you to go home."

* * *

"Luka, club is long over, what are you still doing here?"

Jumping in surprise, the papers Luka had in her hands all slipped from her grasp and fell all over the clubroom floor. Gakupo, who had walked in on her, sighed in annoyance.

"You know, those were organized." He groaned.

"I-I'm sorry, I was just looking for something." Luka stammered, quickly kneeling down to try and pick up the mess she had made. Once practice was over, she'd come in on her own to look through the sheet music the club had amassed. Before, it would have been simple to find what she was looking for, but as Gakupo explained, he had made it a side project to organize everything in hopes to leave the room pristine before he graduated, and it seemed he used a system only he knew how to navigate through.

"We already have our piece for our final, farewell concert, Luka, what could you possibly be looking for?" Gakupo asked in annoyance as he walked in and set a stack of papers neatly on a chair and walked over to her.

"Something special…" Luka told him in a stern voice. She thought back to the night before when she tried to visit Miku in the hospital. That girl, Haku, had stopped her, and made it very clear she wanted Miku all to herself. At first, it had left her broken and defeated, leaving the hospital as if she were in worse shape than it's patients. Gumi ended up spending the night with her instead of with Kaito (Kaito had made it very clear those were her original plans), trying to dry Luka's tears that seemed endless.

Somehow, Miku wound up in the hospital because of her, and the guilt of being told so was crippling, and it seemed as if there was no way out of her saddened spiral. But, by some miracle, the next day her sadness had lifted, and left her with a strength that could only have been forged by misery. She wasn't going to give up, not until Miku herself turned her away –not until she felt the need to rip her silver ring that represented their love from off her finger. Until then, she was going to fight using one powerful (and possibly final) surge back into Miku's arms.

Of course, with her courage came fear. There was about as much a chance that Miku would cast her aside, and she constantly fought against her apprehension. But now, on the floor, looking desperately through papers that refused to yield what she wanted, fear was creeping up slowly on her. She needed one, final thing to make her plans complete, and without it, she wouldn't have the courage she was so sure she had obtained. She couldn't portray her feelings through words –they had to be through song.

"Is something special really worth making such a mess?" Gakupo groaned just as a surprised yelp filled the air, followed by the sound of papers fluttering through the air and scattering onto the ground. It was no surprise that Ritsu was with Gakupo, doing whatever odd chore after club activities were done, and it appeared he had tripped on his way in and dropped his own stack of papers, adding to Luka's mess. Gakupo watched in pained silence, obviously favoring his partner by not immediately scolding him for his mistake. Clearly, he was trying very, _very_hard not to.

"I-I'm sorry!" Ritsu cried as he got up, looking close to tears. "I'll pick them up, and I'll reorganize them myself." One sniffle from the redhead and Gakupo was on his hands and knees helping to clean up Ritsu's mess. Luka looked on, suppressing a chuckle as she watched she scene as the two boys tried to clean up. In their rush to clean the mess up, they kept on accidentally taking the others hand and pulling away in embarrassment –it was a cute sight, but Luka finally joined them and helped them in their endeavor.

"You two really love each other, huh?" She asked with a melancholy smile. Gakupo seemed unfazed by it, but Ritsu was quick to blush and giggle.

"I-I suppose." He said, smiling shyly as he tried to straighten out the papers in his hands. "Why bring that up all of a sudden? Did… Did something happen between you and Miku?" Luka paused, her heart aching for a moment in response to Ritsu's inquiry.

"It's nothing big –I was actually in here trying to find something to fix it." She heaved a sad sigh and hung her head. "Maybe it's a hopeless cause- it might not even be here."

"Trying to find a song to try and fix your relationship problems, now I've seen everything." Gakupo quipped before Ritsu playfully batted at him, causing him to drop the papers he'd picked up, which caused Ritsu to break out into another slew of how sorry he was.

And there it was, in the pile of papers Gakupo had freshly dropped, marked up with pencil and wrinkled from heavy use. A feeling of hope flowed through Luka's veins, as well as a heaping helping of nostalgia. Joyously, she grabbed for it, and held the stapled sheets of paper in her arms as if they were Miku herself.

"Oh! You found them!" Ritsu exclaimed cheerfully. "What is it, anyway?"

"It's a really special piece –sad, yes, but I'll never forget it so long as I live." Luka spoke dreamily as she pressed the papers to her chest. Holding them, it felt as if she finally could see the light at the end of the tunnel… but now she could only hope that she would make it all the way there. There was a chance that light would vanish, leaving her completely in the dark without any direction.

"Gakupo, Ritsu, if it's not too much trouble, there's something I need you to help me with."


	23. Chapter 23: Apologies

Silence, it seemed, was something Miku took for granted. All through the night, her cellphone buzzed and her ringtone chimed, and even when she turned it off, her own thoughts were just as loud and intrusive. She feared turning her cellphone back on if it meant finding countless messages and voicemails all from the same person. She was surprised she wasn't waiting for her outside her house that morning, or lurking behind her like a stalker. The thought of confronting Haku in any way, shape or form after the night before unnerved her, especially after the show she'd made after Miku had told her to leave.

She'd even tried to pry off the ring that was, thankfully, still tightly around her finger, shouting furiously about how she didn't need anything that reminded her of Luka –and that it was all Luka's fault Miku was pushing her away. Maybe that was true. Even if Luka currently wanted nothing to do with her, the memory of Luka was so brilliant and prominent in her mind, nothing could push it out. Not even the promise of having a new set of arms to run to –arms covered in scars and desperately grabbing at her. Haku wanted her so desperately; it was enough to push Miku away.

Miku looked down at her freshly bandaged wrist. Haku had offered her so much, and yet she felt just as empty as she had before. She'd offered unconditional love, and a way for her to escape her pain of love lost, but all it left her with was a scar that would remain on her skin for the rest of her life, reminding her about what she lost. Miku stopped for a moment, her walk to school halted by her crippling feeling of melancholy. The person she longed for the most was gone, and the person who promised to fill those shoes had lied to worm her way into that empty space beside her –all because she'd let down her guard… even though she'd made a promise for Luka for her to be the only one who touched her.

'I shouldn't be so hard on Haku and her lying…' Miku thought solemnly. 'I'm just as much a liar as she is.'

"Miku!" A cheery voice rang through the morning hush as Rin turned the corner, along with Len, coming to find they'd timed their arrival just right. Len was a bit more subdued, but Rin held nothing back as she rushed up the sidewalk and threw herself headlong at her friend, wrapping her arms around her.

"She's just really glad you're back." Len laughed, rushing to her side with a chuckle, obviously just as happy to see their friend back on her feet. "You wouldn't believe how worried she's been –keeping me up at night with all of her wondering if you'll be alright."

"Hey, mister-too-cool, you were just as worried!" Rin defended with a pout before turning to Miku. "Don't believe what he's saying, he just doesn't want anyone to know he cried."

"Did not!" Len snapped back.

Watching her friends bicker just like always, and being embraced enthusiastically by Rin brought an actual chuckle up from Miku's lungs, and it surprised even her. Had it really been that long since she'd laughed? It certainly lifted a small weight from her shoulders, that was for sure, and she was finally able to take her mind off of Haku's sudden fury and Luka's… absence.

"But seriously, are you going to be okay?" Rin asked, looking up at her companion with worry in her eyes. Miku laughed, another single, light chuckle escaping her as she patted Rin fondly on the head. But even so, she looked down at her companion with saddened eyes, not exactly sure how to answer. She wouldn't be cutting herself again anytime soon, that was for sure. One cut that would haunt her forever was enough. But would she be okay? She looked at the silver band on her finger again and sighed.

"I can only hope so, Rin." Miku finally answered, trying to sound a little optimistic for her friend as she returned the embrace. Rin was just the right height where Miku could rest her head on the top of her own and hide her horribly worried expression. She worried about running into Luka at school, and she worried about seeing her during choir practice. She worried about meeting her deep, blue pools she called eyes and being sucked in, despite the fact they belonged to someone she could never get back. It was almost as if she'd returned to square one, suffering and going crazy over an unrequited love –except now, when she thought of Luka, she wanted to cry more than swoon and blush.

She allowed the embrace between her and Rin to last a little longer, trying to draw strength from the energetic girl as she gave her one last squeeze as Len mentioned they should head for school, which would really be a battlefield for Miku's feelings.

"Oh… I've been meaning to ask, but what happened to Haku at the hospital?" Miku questioned curiously as the three of them walked down the street. Len and Rin looked nervously at one another, like the very topic of Haku made them uneasy just like it did Miku. "…What?"

"She's… really weird, Miku." Len admitted before turning to Rin and half whispering, "Should we tell her?"

"Tell me what?" Miku asked, immensely intrigued, but at the same time nervous to hear just what made the twins act so strangely in regards to Haku.

"She didn't come back to the hospital with us –at least, I don't think she did. We got to your place just before she left, and she was… smiling." Rin told her, looking incredibly uncomfortable. "She was standing over your mom, trying to comfort her… it should have been normal, but that smile-"

"It was like she was in the middle of the happiest day of her life!" Len cut in. "And when we got there to accompany your mom to the hospital to meet you, she said she couldn't come. We asked who she was, and she told us she was your LOVER!" Miku felt a cold shiver run up her spine at the very mention of the word "lover".

"Isn't… Isn't Luka your 'lover'?" Rin questioned. "Don't tell me you're running around starting flings with other girls." She obviously meant for the comment to be a joking one, to try and clear the air a bit, but it only succeeded in making things much tenser, and she realized it right away. "I-I mean, I know you never would, that was a joke!" She stuttered and uncomfortably stammered a few moments more before Miku cut her off with a sigh and gloomy smile.

"I messed things up with Luka, I'm afraid." She explained to them, a warm, painful lump growing in her throat with every word. "I guess you could say I let that Haku girl get too close, and now Luka doesn't really trust me –which is fine, I wouldn't trust me, either." The twins looked up at Miku in surprise, then to each other, then back to their sad companion. "She's going to graduate soon, anyway, maybe it's all for the best." Those words stung the most, and she flinched a bit as she said them, as if they were an open hand roughly running against her cheek.

"But… you still love Luka, right?" Len asked hopefully. "I mean, you keep staring at that ring she gave you." Miku came to and realized that she had, in fact, raised her hand again and was gazing at the little piece of jewelry without even realizing it. She kept her hand aloft, staring at the band that reflected the grey, overcast skies.

"Of course I do. I'll never love anyone else like I loved her." She assured him, but in a voice that sounded like she was holding back tears. "But I doubt she'll ever trust me enough to love me back."

* * *

The crowds that seemed to come out of the woodwork whenever there was a chance was almost enough to keep Miku's thoughts away from Luka. Hearing the news of Miku's 'accident', there hadn't been a break between classes where she hadn't been confronted by one or several students asking if she were okay. It felt nice that everyone seemed so concerned, but concern was nothing like love- nothing at all. Luka hadn't appeared at all that day among people who wanted to know if she was alright, but part of her figured that would be the case. Why would she care about the person who hurt her getting hurt as well –it was pretty karmic, actually.

"Wow, look at little miss popular here, getting all this love and attention because she 'fell'." A nasty voice invaded her thoughts. It was lunch break, and Miku was gearing up to locate Rin and Len so they could eat together, but her process of getting ready to leave was stopped by Neru, who was leaning over Miku's desk to give her a sly smirk. Obviously, she wasn't there to ask if she was okay, like everyone else had. She knew very well what had happened, and probably didn't care –if not somewhat enjoy it all.

"Could you please go away?" Miku asked her, trying her hardest to be polite in the face of a relentless tormentor. But, of course, Neru hardly ever gave into nice, quiet pleasantries, and she stayed rooted to where she stood and leaned in all the closer.

"Hmm, I figured you'd be looking at your cellphone by now. Your pure-white angel is probably soooo worried about you. Blameless little thing probably wants to know how you're doing." Miku couldn't stop an infuriated noise from clawing its' way up her throat, but she kept her lips tightly pressed together and in a sharp frown as she glared at Neru, who smiled back all the wider.

"Oooh, I see, you aren't speaking to her. Could it be you realized she's been lying to you all this time to garner sympathy?" She asked. Miku's silence was more than enough for her, and she threw her head back and laughed. Everyone else in the room looked on, too nervous and afraid of the yellow-haired demon from intervening. "How rich! You fell into her trap and now that you're in too deep you finally see her for what she is! Too bad you didn't notice it sooner- maybe if you did you'd still have your lovely Luka to go cry to."

Chairs squeaked and tables rocked, threatening to be thrown over as Miku stood to her feet to face Neru, looking her dead in the eyes and leaning in just as close –just as threateningly. She didn't move to strike or to grab at Neru or to harm her in any way, she simply rose up and glared at her, a furious snarl on her face as tears built up in her eyes. But they weren't tears of weakness or hurt, they were tears of frustration and anger. Even the mighty Neru was taken aback a slight bit, and took a small step away from Miku. But, even if it was simply one, tiny step, everyone seemed to notice, and a collective gasp spread through the room, followed by tense whispers, wondering if Miku intended to jump at and attack the demon next.

"I get it, Neru, I messed up!" She snapped, a surprising amount of strength in her voice. "I believed Haku's lies and I lost Luka because of it, okay!? I said, it, are you happy now!? What else can you possibly get out of tormenting me about it? Do you want me to cry –or maybe the satisfaction of me hurting myself again!?"

"God, stop shouting, you're attracting attention-" Neru began to retort, but Miku was quick to cut her off.

"You like going on about how bad a person Haku is, but you're just as bad!" Miku continued, pointing an accusing finger in the girl's direction. "You don't lie or cut yourself to get attention, but you're just as bad as she is." With that, Miku grabbed her lunch and promptly left the classroom as the whispers began to grow louder. The only one who remained silent was Neru, who stood silently in front of Miku's desk with her hands tightly clenched and her jaw stinging from the sharp frown she wore.

Meanwhile, Miku stormed through the hallway, not even sure where she was going anymore. She just wanted to get away from Neru and get away from her feelings –just get away from all of it. It wasn't just Neru- it was as if life itself was constantly rubbing in her face the mistake she had made.

_You broke Luka's heart. You fell for one girl's pathetic lies. You have a scar that will never go away and will always remind you of what you did. You have a ring you can't bear to remove from your finger that will do exactly the same thing…_

Just as more, stinging, hot tears began to form in her eyes, she ran headlong into someone and clumsily fell backward. Whoever it was made it out only with an ungraceful stumble, leaving Miku to flail around on the floor for a moment all by herself, picking up her lunch that had, thankfully, not been spilled.

"I-I'm sorry, I wasn't looking-" She stammered before she looked up and noticed who it was.

"You most certainly weren't." It was Gakupo, looking down at her as usual: like she was bothering him simply by continuing to exist. Good, just what she needed, the guy who seemed to be annoyed by her all the time. She turned away, trying to hide her saddened expression. "I suppose it's a good thing I found you scuttling about, though. There's going to be an urgent club meeting during break, and your presence is required."

"I'm not even one of the head members of the club –why in the world do I need to go?" Miku questioned. Usually, when there were club matters to discuss, Gakupo would rather do them all by himself –let alone allow the first year he assumed could do only wrong to participate.

"We don't have time for you to question me. Your presence is needed for the meeting, there's no reason why you should argue." He looked down at her sternly, and Miku sighed in defeat.

"Fine, if it's so important…" She muttered, not exactly wanting to go. A meeting with the other members of the club meant that Luka would probably be there –Luka, who's unobtainable presence alone was going to torment Miku until the day she graduated, and probably then some. Luka, who probably wouldn't look her way or speak to her. She could only imagine the cold things scorned Luka would do that would slowly tear her apart. As she followed grudgingly behind Gakupo, her worries grew by the thousands until they were all she could think about.

"Gakupo, I really think-" She finally began to say, trying to release all the pent up feelings by attempting to give a reason to drop out of the meeting.

"We're here." He interrupted, and Miku looked around him to find they weren't at the club room, but the entrance to the auditorium, the door left slightly ajar.

"Hey, what are we doing here?" She dared to ask, to which Gakupo responded with his usual, annoyed look.

"I told you, we're having a meeting, and your presence is required." He informed her robotically before someone poked their head out of the auditorium doors. It was Gumi, looking back at the both of them with a look of excitement.

"Oh, good, you found her!" She smiled, looking up at Gakupo with a grin on her face. "Good fetch, boy, you deserve a treat." Gakupo regarded her playful taunt with a bothered grunt as Gumi reached out and grabbed Miku by the arm, tugging her into the darkness of the auditorium. As the doors behind her were closed, the two of them were bathed in total darkness. Odd noises of shuffling and far-off banging filled the air, leaving Miku hopelessly confused.

"Gumi, what's going on!?" She asked, just as the older girl purposely let go of her arm and left her groping around in the darkness alone. Miku stumbled forward, time and again becoming surprised by the single steps that appeared in the aisle that led down to the stage. "This isn't funny, you guys, I'm not in the mood!" She stumbled again and caught herself on one of the chairs situated along the walkway. "Someone just tell me what's going on!"

"Miku…" A familiar, melodic voice echoed from the darkness, followed by a sudden, blinding appearance of light that caused Miku to defensively shield her eyes. Bright lights from the stage lit up the darkness, and it took a while for Miku to gather the nerves before she lowered her hands she'd used to cover her face and looked to find a breathtaking sight.

At either side of the stage were several members of the orchestra club, sitting on seats and carefully holding their instruments. Among them, she could see Ritsu enthusiastically waving at her from behind a keyboard, happily grinning. And in the center, bathed in the bright lights of the stage, was Luka. Standing in cascades of colorful light, she looked like a heavenly angel more than ever before, and she looked right at Miku with an alluring, kind smile.

"L-Luka!" Miku gasped as she slowly took another step forward. Her thoughts chaotically jumped from place to place, hoping that Luka would do her a favor and explain. But the angelic girl standing before her on stage remained silent, and instead turned to the others on stage and gave them a light nod. Something about the tune they began to play seemed oddly familiar, but it wasn't until Luka began to accompany them with her voice that Miku finally recognized the song: It was the song she'd sang when she was struggling for acceptance into the choir club, and hearing the song sung by Luka dragged her off to a whole different world as she began to naturally drift towards the stage. Without even realizing it, she was singing along with the pink-haired goddess on stage.

The song, "Last Night Goodnight", was about loving someone before and after slumber, but never being able to truly show them your feelings while awake. Back then, this song spoke to Miku in volumes while she struggled with feelings she was trying to keep secret from Luka. Now the song seemed to have a whole different meaning as Luka sang it to Miku over the swell of strings and keyboard, and Miku sang it back to her.

_Please, accept my feelings while I'm awake._

Tears began to form in Miku's eyes as she finally reached the apron and rested her hands on the stage, looking up at Luka in love-struck awe. Luka looked back at her, and even though Miku could hardly see through the haze of tears, she could hear Luka's perfectly melodic voice waver just a bit and could tell the older girl was also shedding tears as the both of them exchanged relieved, loving smiles. The music and Luka's voice seemed to wrap around Miku, like a warm, kind embrace, and all Miku wanted to do was return that unseen embrace. Her muscles ached, desperately wanting to propel her up and over onto the stage to wrap her arms around Luka, but she restrained herself. She instead closed her eyes and let Luka's song continue to it's very last note –until the unseen arms of the song set her free and allowed her to climb up onto the stage, teary-eyes and sobbing happily.

"Luka!" Miku cried as she threw her arms around the older girl, burying her face into her bosom as she cried. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry for everything!" She heavily sobbed and tried to regain breath so that she could form proper words. "I love you Luka, even though I make mistakes! You're the only one I'll ever want, I promise!" Her sobs were quieted just a bit by the feeling of Luka returning her embrace and softly running her hand along her back to sooth her.

"Hush, I believe you." She half whispered in her ear, clearly holding back her own sobs as the two of them cried in unison. Luka sniffled, pressing her forehead against Miku's and reached up to cup the younger girl's cheeks. "I'm the one who should be sorry… I drove you do something so horribly irreversible to your body..." Miku frowned a bit, knowing she was referring to her scar behind the bandages.

"It wasn't your fault, I just made a really dumb choice, that's all." She sighed as Luka freed her face from her hands and reached down to take her bandaged arm. Instinctively, Miku tried to pull her arm away from Luka's grasp, remembering what had happened between her and Haku the night before and how badly she'd insisted on seeing her scar. But the older girl's grip held fast, and as she brought Miku's wrist up to her face, she gazed at it with a look so sad it hurt to look upon. She looked back at Miku's injury with tears in her eyes, her expression growing more and more guilty and sad. But, even so, she pulled it closer and, ever so gently, pressed her lips against the bandages, as if a kiss would make it all better.

And, in part, it did. It didn't make the scar vanish, but it made Miku's feelings about it melt away as she extended her hand and brushed her fingers along Luka's velvety cheek that was damp from the tears she had shed. A single tear flowed onto Miku's finger and drifted down her hand.

"I'll make sure, even when I'm far away, that you won't feel the need to hurt yourself ever again." Luka assured her warmly, looking up and giving Miku a strong look passed the tears in her eyes. She really didn't even have to say anything at all –Miku could tell with just a look that Luka was telling the truth, and all apprehension she had about Luka leaving her after she graduated melted away like ice exposed to the unrelenting sunlight.

"And I'll make sure you never feel betrayed again. You'll never have to worry about me turning to someone else for affection; all I need is you." Miku responded as the two girls went back to wrapping their arms around one another. It didn't matter that they were onstage, with all manner of people watching. To Miku- and to Luka as well- they were the only people in the room. "I belong to you, and only to you." They grew closer, their lips a slight push forward to touching. "Body and soul."

In that moment, their own passion seemed to spark the same sort of feeling in others. Watching blissfully, Ritsu jumped as he felt someone wrap their arm around him from behind. He come to find Gakupo, who had emerged from the wings of the stage. Ritsu was quick to lean his head against him as they watched the two girls on stage reconcile. And in the same moment, from the seats, Gumi watched the scene with a prideful look on her face as she stood beside Kaito. Much to both their surprise, their hands brushed up against one another, causing the both of them to shuffle, looking shocked by the light touch between them. But, shyly and surely, they joined hands, slowly lacing their fingers together.

The entire scene seemed to be intoxicating to everyone involved, sending warm vibes throughout the auditorium. But, before Miku and Luka could share the kiss that would officially seal them together once and for all, the doors to the auditorium flew open, bathing the dark room in bright, natural light from outside. The doors loudly banging against the wall tore the two of them apart, as well as everyone else, as they looked to see just what was going on.

A frantic student stood on the doorway, looking from left to right at everyone present in the room as several other students ran past behind her, frantically yelling. She seemed horribly disheveled, continuing to search the room –for what, no one was sure.

"Please, someone, come quick!" She cried out, sounding hoarse. Whatever message she had for all of them, it was one she'd probably given multiple times. "There's a girl in the courtyard… no one can console her, and she says she's going to kill herself!" She looked about again in a stressful manner, taking a long breath that failed to sooth. "Are any of you Hatsune Miku!?"

Miku looked at the girl in shock and then to Luka, who shared the same, flabbergasted gaze. Neither of them wanted it to be true, but there was only one explanation as to who it was causing such a fuss.

"Haku."


	24. Chapter 24: Screams

"GET BACK!"

The shrill, inconsolable voice bellowed again, sending both students and teachers into a panicked frenzy as they scuttled nervously about the perimeter that had been set according to the shouting of the distraught girl before them. She sat, hunched over in the school courtyard, shaking, sobbing and holding a razorblade she held in a white-knuckled grip dangerously close to her wrist. Even her breath had become nothing but loud, disheveled moaning as she looked back at the worried, frightened crowd.

Haku had come to the school with full intentions of making such a spectacle. She made sure to be where everyone could see, and took out her razorblade when there were several people watching. It was only a matter of time before the small attempts to stop her became a panicked frenzy attended by all. Everyone seemed to be coming out of the woodwork to try and stop her, and whenever one got to close, she'd shriek at them to get back.

"IF ANYONE COMES NEAR ME, I'LL DO IT! I'LL KILL MYSELF!"

There was only one person whose appearance would console her, or at least, that's what she told herself in her flailing, jumbled thoughts. All she wanted was her, not these other people! She wanted her to come and save her, just like she had before. She wanted her to come and stop her from ending her life a second time and know that if she ever were to push her away again, this same thing would happen again. She wasn't above baiting her back with her own life –it worked before to lure her in before, it would work again! And from what she heard from inside the building, it wouldn't be long until she appeared to rescue her with open arms once more. People were scampering about the campus, calling out her name, begging for her to come help.

"I DON'T WANT ANYONE NEAR ME BUT MIKU! HATSUNE MIKU!"

Hot, painful tears bled from her eyes as she recollected on what had happened the night before. The very person she was screaming for was the person who had told her, coldly, to leave. Haku had slipped up and was caught in her own web of lies, but she knew if she put herself in danger again, and rested on the Miku's shoulders the responsibility of being the sole person who could save her from herself, she'd come running back.

_I just… don't want to be alone anymore!_

She wailed through her teeth. The time it was taking for Miku to appear was taking a toll on her psyche. Where was she, and why wasn't she coming to her aid? She couldn't be patient, not now! After so long, she'd finally gotten a taste of companionship –of love! Even if she had lied her way into getting it, it had been hers and she wanted it back! Her old flame had given her up, so there should have been nothing keeping Haku from making Miku hers… and yet, she'd pushed her away. That was more painful than the taunts, the torture or the unbearable silence and it sliced through her, deeper than any blade. The person she thought finally had come to rescue her from the darkness had left her in the shadows she was sure she'd escaped.

"MIKU!" She cried out desperately, pressing the blade closer to her wrist, causing an uproar to surge through the crowd as students and teachers alike tried to press forward, but couldn't.

"Haku!" A familiar voice cut through the panicked chatter of the crowd, and then silenced it. The shouts and pleadings from the surrounding onlookers were diminished to a quiet, rumble and Haku heard the sounds of shoes scraping against the dirty ground as people made way for the person she was sure had come to her rescue again.

_Please save me, Miku!_

A broken smile on her face, Haku lifted her head but kept the razorblade close to her wrist as she looked to meet her savior. A twisted laugh escaped her lips as she sniffled, greeting her angel with tears and eager excitement. But, what she came to find made her quiver, and her smile immediately melted into a horrified frown. Miku had come, just like she wanted, but she'd brought someone else with her, and her hand was lovingly entwined with her companion's. The only person she wanted was Miku, but now all she saw was the pink-haired temptress she was so certain she'd chased away. A choked, surprised squeak clawed its way up her throat and passed her lips and fresh tears began to pool around her eyes, ready to flow.

"You…" She muttered, eyes wide with shock. "You aren't supposed to be here!" This was all wrong –_ALL WRONG_! Miku was supposed to come running up to her, just like she had before, and force her out of her despair. She was supposed to drag her away from her attempt at suicide and wrap her in her warm embrace, silence her cries and dry her tears. She was supposed to save her… wasn't she? But here she was, hunched over and on her knees before her savior who only continued to leave her feeling cold. And this time, it seemed Miku had chosen to share her warmth with another: The reason for her sadness, suffering and the reason for that scar across her arm. Why was she here, ruining everything?

"Haku, please, you have to stop…" Miku begged her, looking uncomfortable and unsure. "I still like you…"

_Please… no…_

"…I just don't…"

_No! Stop! I'm begging you!_

"…Love you."

Miku's words elicited a high-pitched scream from Haku, who refused to believe those horrible, hateful words. She could feel the warmth that Miku's presence had injected into her begin to flow out of her body, leaving her ice-cold, just like she had been before. But now, she'd known the warmth of human kindness –of embraces, caresses and kisses! How selfish of Miku to simply take that away from her! She looked back up at her traitorous beauty and held both of her hands aloft, letting her have a nice, full view of her life in her own hands.

"You don't want me to die, right?" She asked her in desperation, shifting slightly towards Miku, who now looked back at her with the same look everyone else did: Worry and fear.

"Haku, don't do this!" She begged, but didn't let go of Luka's hand. In fact, in all of her apprehension, she actually too the pink-haired girl's hand even tighter and pulled her in closer. She knew if she'd come alone, Haku would force her back, just like she'd done before. It made Luka uneasy, and she could tell by the look on her face as she watched the mess Miku had accidentally wrought come to a terrifying head. But, as Miku began to leave the auditorium on a frantic rush, Luka had taken her hand, and insisted on coming with her. Now, with her loved one by her side, she could withstand the pity that would cause her to embrace Haku… but it still wasn't easy, especially now.

"It's me or her, Miku!" Haku cried. "Please, I'll love you more than anything, and I'll treasure you more than my own life- more than Luka would –more than anyone would! If you don't love me, and only me, I'll kill myself!"

"Then kill yourself." A new, sharp voice cut in, and it tore Haku's attention away from Miku. She gasped sharply and looked at the newcomer with nothing but fear in her eyes. Standing before her, cellphone in hand and an unfeeling look in her eyes was Akita Neru –the very bane of her existence, come to torment her again. Haku noticeably quivered, her resolve wavering before the presence of the girl she both hated and feared the most. She was the demon who had dragged herself from hell and cast Haku down into the pit and laughed.

"W-what?" Haku stammered, shrinking back as Neru tread where everyone else had been afraid to go. But even though she drew closer than Haku had allowed before, she didn't make a move to drag the blade deep across her skin.

"You heard me." Neru glowered. "If you say you'll kill yourself, then do it."

Haku gasped and looked to Miku, gaze begging for her to help her, but the older girl didn't budge. She seemed to watch the scene playing before her with shocked interest, and had grown closer to Luka than before –their shoulders touching. Among her fright and anger, Haku now felt the sting of jealousy and hurt, and it was nearly enough to cripple her.

"Well?" Neru's sharp voice pierced Haku like a knife, and she hesitantly looked back to her. She was caught between two horrible scenes, and it made her head swim. On one side of her stood Miku, now out of her reach and choosing to stay there, and on the other stood the girl who made her life a living hell. "Miku is done with you and your manipulation, so why don't you give these good people what you promised and kill yourself already."

Haku choked back a sob, struggling to breathe as she looked down at the razorblade and her already scar-covered wrist. And as she stared down at what could possibly be her end, a struggle broke out among Miku and Neru, who she refused to look at anymore. Miku begged for Haku to reconsider and for Neru to stop taunting her, and Neru lashed back, saying she deserved it before turning her attention back to her prey and egging Haku on. The commotion grew and grew around her as Luka suddenly chimed in, siding with Miku and shouting back at Neru, who snarled back. Their voices were no longer human at this point as Haku stared down at her wrist. They were a muffled, animalistic din that drove itself into her skull.

And, when she dared finally look up, she met the eyes of who she had thought would be her savior. They looked back at her, filled to the brim with pity and sorrow more than kindness. This was no longer the girl who reached out to her. This person before her, looking into her eyes, was no longer the person she wanted to give all of her love to. That person was gone, and had been shooed away by the pink-haired seductress still holding Miku's hand, shouting back at Neru in a language Haku could hardly understand anymore. Time seemed to stand still as her and Miku continued to exchange glances, and the longer they did, the more it hurt. So much for killing herself, that look devoid of compassion and love was doing the work for her.

"Please…" Out of the sea of jumbled, baffling noises that had once been words, Haku could clearly make out Miku's words, and watched in an almost mystified manner as her lips formed them. "Don't do it!"

Those words seemed to have the opposite effect, however, and Haku laid her arm against the ground wrist up and held her razorblade high above her head. Tears clouded her vision as she let out one, final, sorrowful cry before thrusting the blade down towards her exposed vital point. Just one jab deep into her veins, that's all she needed. That's all she could ever want… right?

_"E-Excuse me, Miss Neru?"_

_"Hm? Oh, you're one of the new first years, aren't you?"_

_"Yes… I just… wanted to say I really admire you… I… I think I might be in love."_

_"…Sorry."_

_"W-What?"_

_"I don't like sad, gloomy girls."_

A loud, dull sounding "clang" rang through the air, and brought the heated argument between the three to a close as they all looked to Haku, who was still sobbing uncontrollably. She was gripping her razorblade so hard, her nails were digging into the flesh of her palm, but as far as wounds went, that was as bad as they got. The blade was nowhere near her still upturned wrist, and instead had been thrust into the ground, only managing to do as much damage as kicking up a bit of dirt and getting it in her eyes. Haku stared down at her weapon that she had failed to end her life with in surprise, just like the rest of them, growing noticeably more upset with each passing second.

"Haku…" She heard Miku half-whisper over her sobs.

It seemed, in the end, she really couldn't do it. She was still waiting for someone to reach out and save her- reaching out into the darkness and waiting for someone to take her hand. No matter what she said, she couldn't bring herself to end her life if she was still waiting and hoping for someone to rescue her and bring her back out into the sunlight. And death… frightened her. Only cold darkness would be waiting for her, and no matter how long she reached out, no one would come.

"I can't do it…" She sobbed over the sounds of sirens in the distance (naturally, her making such a scene would cause someone to contact the authorities to step in). "I'm afraid…" Slowly, she relinquished the razorblade and let it clatter to the ground as she curled herself into a pathetic, quivering ball.

For a moment, Miku's pity overcame her judgement and she began to approach the despairing girl, but she was stopped and pulled back. She looked up at Luka with surprise in her eyes as the older girl wrapped her other arm around her and nodded in the direction of Haku. Curiously, Miku obeyed and looked back, catching sight of Neru approaching Haku and kneeling down beside her. There was no doubt in her mind that whatever Neru had to say to her, it wasn't going to improve Haku's current condition in the slightest. But she could only watch as she lowered her head so that she could whisper harsh nothings into the crying girl's ear.

However, to her surprise, Haku's quivering stopped once Neru had spoken to her, and she was able to lift her head and look back at the yellow-haired demon as if she were just another, harmless girl, with tear-filled eyes wide from surprise. The two of them stared back at one another for only a short time before police began to shoulder their way through the crowd that had gathered around them, yelling at the students to go back to their activities. But of course, most of them stayed to watch as they hoisted Haku to her feet, who gave in and allowed herself to be moved as if she were a ragdoll. Neru remained kneeling on the ground and watched as Haku was taken, who finally displayed a bit of will and looked over her shoulder –not at Miku, but back to Neru.

It was strange how the usual frightening and abrasive Akita Neru could come to look so… solemn.

"Neru… what did you say to her?" Miku asked with a mixture of confusion and awe. As soon as she'd spoken, Neru quickly rose to her feet and straightened up, re-obtaining her harsh demeanor as she turned to look at Miku like she were a child asking stupid questions.

"It's really none of your business." She told her coldly before turning her back to them and flipping open her phone. It was horribly odd how quickly she could revert back to business as usual, when Miku felt emotionally exhausted enough that it had transformed into actual, physical fatigue. She watched as Neru walked off, dispersing with and eventually disappearing into the crowd of students who were still worked up over what had happened. This would definitely be a story that remained on the lips of students until the end of the year, and would be a legend to be passed down after that. Miku, for one, would most certainly not forget.

With an exhausted sigh, Miku leaned against Luka, who finally let go of her hand so that she could wrap both arms around her companion. It was… over, wasn't it? The whole effect of the last few days seemed to linger, deciding to stay on her shoulders a while longer and continue to make her feel heavy. There she was, in the arms of the girl she truly loved the most, the conflict between them having been melted away… and she still felt a lump begin to grow in her throat. Turning around to face Luka, she wrapped her own, shaking arms around her and buried her face into her chest before finally allowing herself to cry.

"M-Miku!" Luka exclaimed, not having expected her partner's sudden rush of emotion. But despite her surprise, she gave into the natural impulse to hold her tighter.

"I'm sorry… I just… can't seem to stop crying." Miku shakily apologized, a small hope growing inside of her that Luka wouldn't push her away as she cried over what had just happened. She cried for the girl who hard nearly severed their bond, but Luka still found it within herself to lovingly embrace her as she sobbed. The only thing that forced her to pull away from Miku the slightest bit was the sound of the bell ringing from inside the school, it's chime signaling the end of their lunch break. Even though something so horrific had just happened, they were still expected to go about their day like normal.

"Miku," Luka spoke softly, rubbing the younger girl's back. Miku pulled away and furiously rubbed at her eyes and took a long, deep breath to try and combat her sobbing.

"I-I'm okay… just a little overwhelmed." She assured her through the occasional hiccup. Luka looked back at her with a doubtful frown, easily seeing through the thinly veiled lie. And as Miku continued to try and dry her tears that refused to be simply wiped away, Luka released her completely and took her by the arm and began guiding her wordlessly toward the school gates.

"Luka, wait! W-What about school?" Miku asked, staying rooted to where she was, but not daring to pull away from Luka's grip. The older girl sighed, but looked back at Miku with a warm, inviting smile before she walked back closer to her so that she could wipe away a stray tear trailing down the younger's cheek herself. "We… we'll get in t-trouble if we-"

"Shhh." Luka softly hushed, using her freehand to caress Miku's cheek. She smiled back at the still crying girl who reached up with a quivering hand and laid it on top of her own, looking back at her with a worried gaze. "I think, after what we've been through, we deserve the rest of the day off, don't you think?" Despite Miku's tears, she gave her a playful wink, which was, at least, enough to elicit a small, stifled laugh from the girl.

"Are you sure it's alright?" Miku shakily asked.

"With our teachers? Probably not." Luka gave an unsure grin, looking off into the distance elsewhere as she pictured the scolding. "But it's alright with me… so long as it's alright with you, of course." There was a short silence filled with more of Miku's sniffling as she wiped at her eyes once again. As wrong as it was to just leave school in the middle of the day, Miku wasn't sure if she could take going through the rest of the day sitting in class, unable to stop crying and clearly linked to a huge uproar that had just taken place.

"It's fine with me." Miku softly smiled as she lowered her arm to look back at Luka with eyes still moist with tears. "It will always be fine with me."

* * *

"God, those two, leaving school during such an important time of the year." Gumi huffed as her and Ritsu left the club room. He turned around briefly to bid Gakupo goodbye with a warm smile and light, feminine wave before turning his attention back to Gumi, who looked mildly bothered. "They didn't even bother to go back and pick up their things, and it turns us into their personal bag transportation service." She referred to the extra bag both her and Ritsu were each carrying –one of them being Luka's and the other Miku's.

"Cut them a little slack, Gumi, it's a little understandable that they left." Ritsu tried to defend, the two bags he held knocking together as they walked. "It was a pretty emotional day for the both of them –I definitely wouldn't be able to sit through class after all that."

"True- but it was still a dick move on Luka's part!" Gumi groaned. "She already has a suspension on her record, and now she's cutting class. I swear, that Miku is turning my dear Luka into a delinquent." She dramatically sighed and rested a hand on her cheek while shaking her head. Even Ritsu couldn't help but chuckle at her display.

"Hey, wait up!" The two of them turned around, coming to find Kaito running after them to catch up. "Are you two going home together?"

"Not really, we just have to drop off the two slacker's things, and I didn't want to carry three bags." Gumi explained, and Ritsu lightly giggled. "After that, we're probably gonna head our separate ways. Why do you ask." She cocked an eyebrow at him, giving him a quizzical look as she leaned in close.

"Oh, nothing, I was just wondering if you wanted to come over to my place, that's all." Kaito told her, rubbing the back of his head before growing all the more uncomfortable as Gumi's questioning gaze turned into a sly looking grin.

"Kaito, you dog, propositioning me in front of company –how bold of you!" She joked, and Kaito groaned from embarrassment in response to her teasing retort.

"To study!" He corrected himself with a blush on his cheeks. "I meant come over to my place to study!"

"Sure, sure, whatever you want to call it, big boy." Gumi continued with a sneer, giving him an over-exaggerated wink. "We'd better hurry and drop off these bags, then, hate to take away from time we could spend 'studying'." By this point, Ritsu had a hand over his mouth, trying to contain his laughter, and Kaito had given up trying to convince her he wasn't after anything lewd.

Finally, it seemed, things were settling back to being normal.

* * *

Miku was unable to withhold a passionate sigh as she took in the smell of Luka's sheets for the thousandth time. The two of them lay next to one another, stripped bare and tightly wrapped in the others embrace. Finally, for the first time in days, Miku truly felt calm. There wasn't a single worry in the back of her mind, nagging at her that there was something wrong. All there was now was a feeling of content as she looked back at Luka through half-lidded eyes and smiled.

Lying there in the darkness, with nothing but faint lights from outside and a small table light on Luka's desk to light the room, the older of the two couldn't have looked more perfect to Miku. She lay beside her, long, pink hair falling in graceful tendrils around her face and body and her full, kissable lips drawn up in a content smile. Slowly, she opened her eyes that were still brilliant even in such low light, and gazed back at Miku with a look that took her breath away. And her skin –oh, her skin, so perfect and smooth, without blemish or fault. Just miles of silky, soft skin for Miku to run her hands over with delight. The love that she felt for her now wasn't out of pity or fear Luka would do something otherwise; this was truly, intoxicating, overwhelming love, and it brought a warm smile to Miku's lips and a light blush to her cheeks. Even simply looking back at her lover and getting drawn in by her sapphire-blue eyes made her heart begin to race.

"Aren't you tired?" Luka asked her, a light chuckle in her voice as she looked back at Miku's fascinated, unwavering gaze. Once they both had their fill of kisses, caresses and exploring the each others bodies, Miku hadn't looked away from her, not even once. She lay beside her, in her arms, completely transfixed.

"Yeah, a little, especially after today." Miku responded with a laugh of her own. "But… I just can't stop looking at you. After what happened lately, I was afraid I'd never be able to look back at you like this again, so now I just want to indulge." Luka's smile widened as Miku spoke, and once she was finished she leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on Miku's forehead.

"I'll still be here in the morning. I'm flattered that you can't stop looking at me, but you should really get some sleep." She softly spoke, moving one of her hands so she could brush a few lose strands of hair from out of Miku's face.

"…Do you promise?" Miku asked sweetly, looking to Luka with an innocently worried stare. "When I wake up tomorrow, you'll be here, right? I won't wake up to realize this is all a dream?" She eyed the pink-haired girl with a legitimate look of concern, and Luka silently answered her at first with a reassuring kiss against Miku's pouting lips. The younger girl kissed her back, lengthening what would have been a small peck and turning it into a heated, deep kiss that the two of them began to get lost in. Slowly changing her position as not to break the kiss, Luka rolled over so that she was hunched over her lover, passionately kissing her while she allowed one hand to lightly travel down Miku's body with a feathery touch. She shuddered in delight beneath her and lightly moaned against Luka's lips.

"I promise." Luka said breathlessly as the two of them finally found the will to pull their lips apart. But even now, their lips were already drifting back towards one another, like a couple of magnets. Soon, they were close enough that every time Luka spoke, her lips brushed against Miku's, who now reached up and wrapped her arms around Luka in desperation, silently begging for another kiss. "I'll be here when you wake up…" She paused, still withholding herself from indulging in the sweet taste of her lovers lips as she ran her hand back up Miku's body with the same, light, teasing caress. Miku quivered beneath her, a moan now clearly escaping her and gaining a satisfied smile from Luka. "…And I'll be with you forever."

* * *

"Yowane Haku?" A nurse peered into the quiet room, addressing its quiet tenant who lay on her bed without a sound. She'd been more or less sentenced to the mental ward of the hospital for a month (how unfortunate to land in such a place during exams), something about causing some sort of riot outside of a nearby high school. And all the while, she didn't say a word to anyone- not her nurses, not the other patients, not even her parents who came every once in a while to see how she was doing. She was a high suicide risk patient, and every single sharp object had to be removed from the room, and she was monitored constantly –even when she bathed- but not even that elicited even a word of protest from her. So, of course, the nurse addressing her figured by now there was no need to wait for the girl to answer.

"You have a visitor… she says she's your friend?" Finally, at least, her words caused the quiet, white-haired girl to react as she lifted her head from her pillow and gave her nurse a quizzical look. The nurse forced a smile for the depressing girl before stepping back into the hallway, calling for whoever had come to visit her. "She's awake, you can see her."

Somewhere, deep in her withered heart, Haku found herself hoping to see Miku walking through her door, giving her a kind smile and welcoming her into open arms. The thought alone was enough for force her to sit up, her lips parted in silent excitement… but the person who the nurse allowed to enter wasn't Miku at all, and Haku shrunk back a bit when she stepped in through her door. Akita Neru was being allowed to enter into her room, breaching the one place where Haku felt safe. She looked to the nurse with a nervous look in her eyes, but she had gone, leaving the two of them alone.

"Man, this place is full of crazies." Neru noted with a mocking laugh as she approached, pocketing her cellphone. "I walk in and immediately some guy mistakes me for his wife. That's the first time in a while I've been hugged by a complete stranger." Haku responded only with silence as she backed up against the wall on her bed and drew up her legs, peering back at Neru over her knees. But even though Haku was clearly not content with her being there, Neru made herself at home, plopping on the unoccupied bed across from her.

"They have you wear some real unflattering clothes." She noted, nodding at the sea foam-green shirt and matching pants Haku and everyone else in the ward were meant to wear. "I mean, they don't even give you clothes that will fully cover up your scars."

"Why are you here?" Haku finally asked, her voice low and hoarse. Neru looked back at her in surprise before responding.

"What, was I not supposed to come? I don't remember being told I wasn't allowed to visit you." She told her, wrinkling her nose a bit. "I'm here because I want to be here, is that a problem?" Of course there was a problem, but Haku dared not say as she pressed her body closer to her drawn up legs and answered her question with silence. And that's how the two of them remained for a while: Haku huddled against the wall and Neru eventually taking out her cellphone and rudely texting in her presence. There were so many things Haku wanted to say to her, most of them being different ways of trying to convince her to leave, but one thing stood out in her mind. After gathering what little nerves she had, she finally spoke up.

"What did you mean, that day I came to your school?" She asked her. Neru looked up from her phone, giving her a look that hinted she wasn't quite following. "Before I was taken away, you whispered something to me… what did you mean by that?"

She'd pondered about it since the moment she had heard it. Before Haku had been removed from the school grounds, Neru had knelt before her and whispered in her ear, "I liked you better when you were a sad, gloomy girl". Those words haunted her ever since, and now, even though she would rather Neru not even be there, at least she could get some answers.

"I meant exactly what I said, what's so confusing about it?" Neru shrugged. "The sad, gloomy middle school first year you used to be wouldn't cut herself and lie to get attention. She wouldn't cause a giant scene that would get her placed in a mental ward, that's for sure." She paused, giving Haku a look that was difficult to process, coming from her. It wasn't mean spirited or meant to frighten or hurt. It was simply a look, without a bit of malice behind it. "She wouldn't torment people like you used to do."

"I just… wanted to change myself. Back then, you told me you didn't like me because I was sad and gloomy." Haku defended.

"Yeah, and becoming a notorious bully was better? Honestly, you take everything to extremes." Neru rolled her eyes. "Someone like you isn't cut out for that sort of thing anyway, I should know. Maybe you were just suited to be sad and gloomy all your life instead of a demon or an attention seeker- you definitely failed at both." Haku looked down at her feet in shame, their brief conversation dissolving into silence once again.

"Hey… Neru…" Haku hesitantly spoke. "If I were to go back to being a sad and gloomy girl, would you like me?" Neru remained silent, but looked back at her thoughtfully.

"You know, I told you, I don't like sad, gloomy girls." She told her in a stern, sharp tone, causing Haku's posture to become more withered and frail. "But, I guess we can see how things play out."

Haku looked back at Neru, keeping her mouth shut, but feeling something warm build up inside of her. Finally, for what felt like the very first time, a ray of light finally pierced through the darkness.


	25. Chapter 25: Sweets

It was finally the time of year when love was in the air. Conversations between girls had suddenly become hushed and full of apprehension and excitement, and boys suddenly found it within themselves to hold open doors and compliment the objects of their affection. Valentine's Day was just around the corner, and nobody could wait. Talks of crushes and chocolate filled even the third year classroom Luka occupied, as the mature, older students seemed to devolve into giggling, shy first years, casting shy glances and emitting tiny, hushed squeals.

Luka wished she could be just as giddy and full of energy, but with all of her studying and late nights under her belt, all she could do was yawn and stretch in her seat as everyone filled out of class for the day- the girls gushing about making chocolate or buying gifts and the boys stiffly walking among them, hoping it was them they were whispering about.

Yes, Luka wished she were among them, excited about confessions and chocolate, but she felt much too exhausted- but was she unhappy? Goodness no! Even in her tired state, she couldn't be happier. Whatever wall had kept her and Miku apart had crumbled, leaving the younger girl to come home with her almost every evening, and leaving her satisfied every night. Whether it was simply leaning over her as she studied –letting her aqua-green hair fall over her shoulders and over Luka- or relieving her stress with kisses and caresses, Luka had no reason to feel sad regarding the time of year. But as much as she wanted to happily giggle and gossip, even she had her limits. The only thing she seemed to be enthusiastic about doing that day was yawning.

The only person who seemed to also be stuck in their seat was Gumi, who was hunched over what Luka could only assume were study materials. With one last, tired stretch and groan, Luka finally rose from her seat and approached her.

"Wow, you normally are never this serious about school work." She teased as she arrived next to her –only to realize there was no such thing on Gumi's desk. Instead, there were several, colorful pieces of paper that appeared to be ripped out of the pages of magazines that were normally sold to a much younger audience (hence the large print and cute, colorful illustrations). Each one demonstrated basically the same method to making chocolate, and in looking at them, Luka couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

"Making chocolate for Kaito, huh?" She asked, trying to mask her amusement by sounding curious. "Must be pretty difficult –If I remember right, you _bought_me chocolate on Valentine's Day when we were a couple."

"Yeah, I need the little kid instructions." Gumi laughed uneasily. "I tried going off a regular cookbook and gave up immediately." She paused and leaned back in her chair, still staring down at the recipes as she heaved a bothered sigh. "Though, to be honest, I don't even know if I want to anymore."

"What, making chocolate can't be that hard." Luka told her with a laugh, trying to be positive for her clearly distraught friend. "I can even help you, if you want."

"It's not that!" Gumi's words suddenly took on a sharp tone that made Luka jump. Her friend threw her hands over her mouth, clearly surprised by her own tone as well as Luka. And those hands that she'd pressed to her lips in surprise slowly drifted to her face in defeat as she hung her head. "Sorry… I didn't mean to yell."

"No, it's fine." Luka assured her. "What happened? Did you and Kaito have a fight?"

"Not exactly, I wouldn't call it a fight. Neither of us even raised our voices." Gumi explained, moving her hands once again to the side of her face, fingers laced through her grass-green locks as she began to recount what had happened the night before.

Her and Kaito had stayed up late, deep in their studies (Luka didn't seem to want to believe that bit, but Gumi insisted that her and Kaito really were just studying), not realizing the time until both of them started to nod off. Kaito had stood and assured her he could make it back home on his own when she offered, giving her hair a gentle, kind ruffle, like someone would give their dog. And maybe it was because Gumi was still partially asleep, but she began to say words to him that, even after having been together for nearly two months, neither of them had shared.

"Kaito… I lo-" But before she could finish, Kaito was more that willing to jump all over cutting her off, his once kind smile looking a bit uncomfortable as he babbled and stumbled over how he really had to go. Gumi tried again and again to tell him, but every time he'd successfully interrupt her until he finally slipped out of her bedroom door, giving a half wave and a forced, nervous smile.

"Stupid Kaito! All because of him I couldn't get any sleep!" Gumi complained, resting her head on her desk. "I tried to find a reason why in the world he wouldn't let me tell him my feelings, and I kept on coming up with one, horrible answer…" She looked apologetically to Luka, who in turn looked back at her with worry in her eyes. "…I think… Kaito still really likes Miku."

"WHAT!?" Luka gasped, taking a step back in surprise as she tried to process what Gumi had just said. There was no way, that flame should have been long gone by now! "But they settled everything a long time ago! And you two have been going out since Christmas, there's no way he still has feelings for Miku." Maybe it was her getting defensive, but the volume of her voice soared as she tried to deny to both herself and Gumi that Kaito had no more feelings for Miku at all.

"He hasn't told me that he loves me, not even once, but back when he had that short thing with Miku he'd always bring up how he loved her!" Gumi argued. "Maybe I'm just a fling like everyone else, and Miku's the one he's holding out for."

"N-Now wait just a minute-!" Luka began to bellow back before the door to their classroom slid open, and one half of the very subject of their conversation poked her head in and beamed at Luka and Gumi. The two of them ended their conversation immediately, and Gumi stood up from her seat, gathered her various papers and shoved them roughly into her bag.

"Hello!" She greeted cheerily, the time of year obviously having its way with her, tinting her cheeks pink and giving her a spring in her step. Had there not been so much tension left behind from her and Gumi's unfinished conversation, Luka would have swooned over how lovely Miku looked. "Are you two coming to choir club today?" She always came by to check, mostly to see if her and Luka would be walking home together or not –Luka could skip a day or two for her studies, but if Miku dared to miss a day, Miss Meiko would give her a much-deserved earful.

"I don't know, are we, Gumi?" Luka asked, but her friend didn't answer, and instead she threw her bag over her shoulder and silently trudged out of the classroom –but not before hitting Miku with a glance that made her shiver. It wasn't a hateful look, or an angry one. It was more a look of hurt jealousy that Miku couldn't really understand. But, even so, she felt bad and her mood was dampened a bit as Gumi walked passed her and left her and Luka to stare at one another alone –Miku in apologetic confusion, and Luka in concern.

"Did something… happen?" Miku dared to ask as Luka walked over to her and petted her head reassuringly.

"Not really, it's no big deal." Luka lied, flawlessly weaving her falsehood and capping it off and a loving smile as she pressed a light kiss against her companion's forehead, to which she giggled lightly. She lifted herself up a bit more and balanced on her toes, expecting a second kiss on a different part of her face, but Luka pressed a finger to Miku's lips instead of her own lips, giving the younger girl a teasing wink.

"Later –you're more eager when you've had to wait." She smiled. Miku pouted in response, but made no argument against Luka's gesture and planted her feet back, flat on the ground.

"So, are you coming to club today?" Miku repeated her question, her voice sounding eager.

"I'd love to, but my dad has a tutor coming over today, and he made it very clear I wasn't to be late." Luka explained apologetically, deciding not to add that he also wished that she didn't bring her "silly companion" to the tutoring session. After all this time, he still refused to refer to her as anything but that. "You can come over after club gets out, though. I'm sure my tutor will be gone by then, and I can give you all the kisses you want." Miku smiled wide at the proposition, but it quickly faltered a bit.

"I… Actually made plans." She rubbed the back of her head nervously before raising her voice in panic. "It's nothing bad, I promise! Ritsu just wanted me to come over to his place so we could make chocolate! I-I've never really had anyone to make chocolate for, so…" She trailed off, a blush growing on her face.

"I believe you." Luka laughed, resting a hand warmly on Miku's shoulder. "And it's awfully sweet of you to want to make me chocolate. I'm perfectly fine with something store-bought."

"No way!" Miku sharply declined, shaking her head. "I was going to, but Ritsu told me that making chocolate is a lot more special. Something about being able to taste the other's feelings…" She trailed off before looking up at Luka sheepishly. "And I want you to be able to eat chocolate that's filled with all my love." Both girls were blushing now, and Luka was unable to suppress a laugh filled to the brim with passion as she met Miku's expectant gaze.

"Chocolate filled with your love, was it?" She asked with a smile. "I guess I'd have to eat it gently, as if I were eating you." She watched in amusement as Miku's blush intensified and she shuffled about in surprise at her lover's surprisingly sexual comment.

"Y…Yes please." Miku spoke in hardly a whisper, fidgeting nervously as she pictured the very thing Luka had portrayed. It wasn't quite clear if she was referring to the chocolate or herself, but either way, she was giving Luka permission.

"Well, if you're going over to Ritsu's place afterwards, I guess I'll have to endure one night without you." Luka sighed, but with a smile on her face. "If your time is spent putting your love into chocolate, I guess I can't complain."

"Then… could you…?" Miku shyly asked, propping herself up on her toes again and looking up at her lover longingly. Luka chuckled and cradled Miku's face in her hands- feeling the intense heat radiating from off of her cheeks. An eager gasp was just barely audible as she leaned in, taking in the younger girl's scent.

"I guess one couldn't hurt." She beamed before pressing her lips lovingly and longingly against the lips of her beloved. She was eager to taste the chocolate that she would make –no matter how it tasted- but she was certain that Miku's lips tasted sweeter and were more addictive than even the finest confection available. Chocolate wouldn't kiss her back, after all, or quietly moan and send shivers up her spine. Chocolate wouldn't make her feel so overcome with emotion and heat like Miku's lips did, but whether it was sweets made by her or her lips, Luka would decide to greedily indulge in both.

* * *

'I'm still mad at Kaito, aren't I?'

Gumi looked down at her shopping basket where a few, essential items for making chocolate had been tossed. She'd even bought wrapping for it: red, shiny tin foil and a small length of pink ribbon. Looking down at her soon-to-be purchases filled her with frustration, but she couldn't bring herself to put them away. Instead, she proceeded to the checkout line, several other girls buying the same sort of thing scattered among the afternoon shopping crowd. They all seemed to happy, smiling down at their selection or chatting with one another over who their chocolate would be for.

'Mine's for a guy who might not even like me.' Gumi thought gloomily to herself. 'I'm only making it because I'm an idiot.'

She'd been a bit upset with Luka, and had glowered and Miku, but really she wasn't mad at either of them. Sure, Luka didn't want to even consider the thought of someone having feelings for her precious junior, and Miku was probably the catalyst of Kaito's sudden nervousness about Gumi's feelings, but they were more or less blameless in the whole thing- just a protective lover and an innocent girl. And, in part, she couldn't even bring herself to be angry with Kaito, who was the cause of her new-found distress. Most of her anger and frustration was aimed at herself.

_Gumi, who insisted on buying ingredients for chocolate for a guy who probably didn't really love her. Gumi, who couldn't get thoughts of him out of her head. Gumi, who still felt exactly the same for him, despite the fact the object of her affections longed for someone else's lover. Gumi, who was close to tears in a crowded, public place._

"Next in line, please!" One of the cashiers called, and Gumi was ripped from her thoughts as she hurried to the register. The girl who scanned and bagged her items smiled warmly at them, and then to Gumi, who sadly couldn't share the same sort of expression and stared back blankly at her –a look that evolved into one of uncomfortable frustration the wider the checkout girl smiled. Why in the world was she so happy for her when Gumi herself was absolutely miserable about it?

"So," She cheerily began as Gumi began to collect her bags. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"An idiot!" Gumi found herself snapping before briskly turning and leaving the store, leaving the checkout girl and everyone within earshot shocked and confused. She stomped out into the crowded streets, immediately hearing gossip and giggles about chocolate and dates. She wished everyone would just shut up about Valentine's Day so she wouldn't have to go back to wondering where Kaito's true feeling rested. There she was, like a love-struck fool with her heart in her hands, and Kaito was probably pinning after someone who had already given her heart away. Maybe the chocolate was her last-ditch effort. She'd put her all into her chocolate –all of her love and probably tears as well- and hope, by some miracle, her feelings reached him. He had gained her companionship with carrot cake, so the thought wasn't much of a stretch.

"Gumi!" A voice called out to her from the crowd, rising above the idle Valentine's Day chatter that seemed to follow her everywhere. Gumi's heart skipped a beat as she turned around, coming face to face with Kaito, who greeted her with a smile that would be at home on a dog greeting it's master –goofy and overwhelmingly pleased. It made Gumi want to smile back, but she withheld herself.

"Oh, hello." She tried so hard to sound unmoved, but emotion still found its way into her voice.

"Hey, what do you have there?" Kaito questioned. "Doing some shopping?" Gumi nervously hid the bags behind her back –an act that was impulsive, and she figured right away that doing so would give away exactly what she was carrying. And she was right, seeing as a smug grin crept across Kaito's face as he leaned in close. "Or are those ingredients for chocolate?"

"I-If it was, do you think I'd tell you?" Gumi asked him as harsh as she could, but her words were lost on Kaito, who laughed.

"You don't have to make me chocolate, Gumi." He assured her. "But, if you're so eager to give me something on Valentine's Day, you can always use your body-" Suddenly, Kaito felt the wind being forced out of his lungs as Gumi half punched him in the gut and half shoved her bags of ingredients onto him. If she hadn't whipped around and run away immediately, he would have caught the frustrated tears in her eyes.

She hadn't even given the chocolate to him, and he already refused it, and instead suggested something else- something any girl would give without a shred of actual love. It made her wonder, again, if she was just a plaything for him –just a placeholder for the person he truly wanted. He didn't want her chocolate, and he didn't want her love. He just wanted her body so he could try and forget about the girl who got away. Was that what she'd always be? She'd more or less been that person for Luka, who ended up letting her go in hopes she'd meet the girl who she longed for, and now she was that person to Kaito, who was using her like a tool. And as she ran down the street, trying to hide her tears, she still found she was angry at no one but herself.

_Gumi, who could never find true love._

* * *

"Hey, Ritsu…" Miku spoke up as they were cleaning up the small mess they had accumulated from making chocolate. The older boy had his long, red hair tied back tightly in a ponytail and a frilly pink apron on (upon asking if it was his mother's, Ritsu corrected Miku and assured her it was his)- the very image of a girl someone would normally find in a themed café somewhere. Miku withheld mischievous grins all evening, wondering if she should take a picture of Ritsu, dolled up just to make simple chocolates, and see if she could tempt Gakupo with it.

The two of them had arrived at Ritsu's house –a surprisingly normal looking flat outside of town- to no one else being home, and he'd explained that's how it was usually. Both his parents worked in town, but their jobs usually forced them to work long hours. His mother was a manga artist who was always just barely making her deadlines and his father was a designer who seemed to like to take his work home with him, if the cuts and lengths of fabric and sketches stacked about were any sort of clue. This was definitely the type of environment someone like Ritsu would flourish in.

"Mmm?" Ritsu mumbled as he stood on tiptoe to reach a high shelf in order to put one of the mixing bowls they'd used away. For a moment, Miku was torn from what she'd wanted to talk about when she caught a brief glimpse of cute, pink-colored underwear peeking from beneath Ritsu's skirt as he stretched to tidy up. Gakupo must like the oblivious, innocent types, it seemed, since the redhead didn't even seem to notice.

"W-What are you going to do once Gakupo leaves for college?" Miku quickly regained composure, stumbling at the starting line as she began to ask. Truly, Ritsu was the only one she could possibly relate to, even if he was a grade above her. His own lover was still graduating before him- and apparently going to a prestigious, stuffy college in a completely different city- so he was the one person she could talk to about the problems she'd be facing who would be able to see her eye to eye. Ritsu planted his feet back firmly on the ground and made a cute, thoughtful noise. "I mean, you two are inseparable, won't it be hard to see him go?"

"I guess so." Ritsu nodded, seeming oddly upbeat for someone considering what life would be like without his almost constant companion. Miku couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy over how collected Ritsu was regarding the subject. Come to think of it, him and Gakupo hardly fought, despite the older of the two's fowl nature. Her and Luka seemed to constantly get by on the skin of their teeth, but it was smooth sailing for Ritsu and Gakupo. She almost wanted to ask him what their secret was, and try to use it to her advantage. "I lived for years waiting for Gakupo, though, not knowing if I would ever see him again. Having to wait a year, knowing where he is and knowing I'm in his heart is really nothing in comparison."

"That's true, you have that under your belt." Miku laughed. Years of waiting to see if his prince charming would return had given Ritsu the patience of a saint. But Miku was still so young and naïve- easily led astray and broken over the smallest thing. Her life hadn't prepared her for having to wait two whole years for the person she loved the most and longed for even now, only after having been apart from her for a few hours. Miku's heart ached at the thought of waiting, so much she had considered several times simply dropping out of school, finding a part time job and living with Luka. Of course, the older girl would never approve, so the occasional thought never became more than that.

But Luka was more than ready for being apart from Miku. She was exactly like Ritsu, in the sense that she had waited for Miku all the time they'd been apart growing up, even going as far as to turn down other, potential romances. She'd held out for her until her final year of high school, and with the amount of studying she'd be doing in college, the years would just fly by while they dragged on for Miku. The loneliness, she figured, would drive her absolutely mad.

"And you and Luka have gone through a lot over the past year." Ritsu responded positively, untying his apron. "All those hurdles will have made you a lot stronger by now. You'll be apart, but your love won't be going anywhere, that's for sure. I'm not going to pretend I know everything, but I'm sure you two are going to be fine." He reached over and patted Miku on the head.

"Are you sure?" Miku asked him. Just hearing that someone else had a little faith in her and Luka filled her heart with a little warmth. Ritsu chuckled lightly before turning his attention to the oven where their confections were baking.

"Me and everyone else are pretty sure." He told her with a smile. "If you've gotten this far after everything that's happened, a couple of years apart is going to be a walk in the park." Miku sighed and looked at the oven as well, resting her head in her upturned palm.

"I really hope you're right, Ritsu."

* * *

Luka had never seen Gumi so worked up before. From the moment she stepped into the house, she had talked nonstop about how frustrating Kaito was. She had tried several times to get a word in edgewise, but to no avail, and Gumi continued to rant about and rail on Kaito until she was red in the face- or maybe that was the alcohol. Maybe it was their attempt to sooth their clearly upset guest, but her maids had found it suitable to break out the leftover champagne from new years and serve it to the two girls. Luka had refused, but Gumi openly accepted, and had only paused in her fervent tirade to knock back whatever glass she was on. Luka knew it was wrong, and so did the maids, but there was something about angry Gumi that made everyone not want to tell her no.

The two of them were in the kitchen, where Luka was half-watching over a batch of sweets she had in the oven. She knew it was customary for just one person out of a couple to give chocolate on Valentine's Day, but she couldn't help herself. Unfortunately for her,and probably Gumi, being in the kitchen meant that drink was more widely available, and her now tipsy friend had resorted to sitting down after she had to catch herself on a counter mid-rant. The amount of alcohol she had consumed and how angry she was were finally conflicting with one another.

"I swear, he's still lusting after Miku!" She bellowed. "I wish he'd just hurry up and dump me already so I wouldn't have to go through all of this crap! I even planned on making him chocolate- what kind of idiot am I!?

"You're not an idiot, Gumi." Luka tried to reassure her, giving her maids a warning look as they began to inch forward with the bottle of alcohol, now almost empty of its contents. "You just need to give Kaito some time, and you two have plenty of that. You're both applying for the same college, after all."

"I hope he fails to get in!" Gumi shouted. "I hope I never have to see him again so I can stop hurting so much!" It appeared that her anger was devolving into sadness as her voice became much more solemn and lost the angry bite it had before. She rested her head in one of her hands and groaned quietly. "Because no matter how much he might love someone else, I still… I still…"

"Gumi…" Luka softly spoke as she approached her friend, who was now defensively covering her face as her shoulders shook. She gave a nod to the maids attending to them, silently asking for them to give them a moment alone. This was almost exactly what it was like when she told Gumi their relationship wasn't going to work- save for the fact Gumi hadn't been drunk, of course. She was hunched over, trying to hide the fact she was crying from Luka and miserably failing. Her sobs were audible and she shuddered like a leaf in a breeze. No matter how much she wiped at her eyes or how tightly she bunched herself up into a ball, it was clear when Gumi's tough exterior left her.

The moment was also a bit different from when Luka decided to end their relationship because, now, Luka wanted nothing more than for Gumi to succeed in her attempts at loving someone.

"I love that stupid piece of crap!" Gumi cried into her hands, her voice muffled and hard to understand because of that and the fact she was slurring her words in her sadness. "I love him so much that it hurts and he doesn't even care!"

"There, there." Luka comfortingly whispered, resting her hands on Gumi's shoulders and pulling the shuddering girl close to her just a bit. "You won't know for sure until you confront him about it. I bet you haven't even told him you feel this way, huh?"

"N-No…" Gumi sniffled after a long, stubborn pause.

"Alright, it's settled then. If all this is hurting you so much, you need to talk to Kaito about it." Luka told her sternly as she tightened her grip on her shoulders and pushed the crying girl back. She waited patiently until Gumi finally uncoiled herself and tore her arms slowly out of the way of her face so she could give her a confident, hard look. Gumi gazed back with her arms still near her face, ready to throw them over her eyes again as she looked back at her friend with a watery, unsure stare. "Tomorrow couldn't be more perfect- I'll even arm you with some of the cookies I'm making."

"…What if it turns out he doesn't like me?" Gumi asked her with a quivering voice. "What if I'm just some loser he's keeping around to fill space? What if-" Before she could continue to ask questions and make herself increasingly more upset, Luka playfully bopped her on the head.

"Hey, none of that. I'm sure everyone has a little good in them, even creeps like Kaito." She told her with a reassuring smile as Gumi rubbed her head, acting like Luka had given her a truly hefty blow. "If there's anything I've learned this past year, it's that people can surprise you. Now come on, get up. I'll have the maids watch the cookies while I clean you up."

"…Do you think Kaito loves me?" Gumi asked in an almost sleepy manner as her friend helped her to her feet. Gumi swayed for a bit, her gaze focused on the ground. Luka remained thoughtfully silent for a moment as she led her friend out of the kitchen. She remembered how he'd acted before Christmas- how overwhelmed he seemed about finding the perfect gift for Gumi. When she was helping him find the right gift, she was all he seemed to want to talk about- and not a breath of Miku left his lips.

"You know, Gumi, I think he loves you more than you think."

* * *

The fateful day had finally arrived, and the air was heavily scented with floral scents and chocolate. The soft giggles and whispers had evolved into loud professions and happy cries. Spring had hardly even begun to show its face, but it certainly felt like it was in the air. The chilly day was made warm by the feelings of love that seemed to drift through every hallway of the school and situate itself into every corner of every room. Everyone seemed content, buried under their own feelings and sweets. And when lunchtime finally came around, Miku finally decided it was time to join in the festivities.

She practically skipped down the hall, the clear, plastic bag clutched closely to her quickly beating heart. Several ribbons were tied around the bag, each a different shade of pink, and each, little ball of chocolate had been individually wrapped as well. If she hadn't personally made them herself, it seemed like they'd been store bought. It was all thanks to Ritsu, though, who had helped her every step of the way and held her hand through most of the process (or else things wouldn't have gone over as well). But despite the help she had gotten, Miku was sure that every ounce of love she had for Luka had been melted into each, individual chocolate.

And, as her thoughts drifted as they naturally did toward her lover, who should emerge from the crowd but Luka herself, looking just as happy to see Miku as Miku was to see her. The younger girl scampered up to her, a wide smile on her face and a deep blush on her cheeks.

"H-Happy Valentine's Day!" She happily squeaked, clumsily juggling the bag she had in her hands. In her excitement, she had lost her grip, and fumbled with it a few times before handing it over to the older girl. "I… I made these for you. Ritsu helped a little, of course…" Luka chuckled happily and gingerly accepted the package, untying the ribbon right then and there.

"I bet they're delicious, just like you." She purred pleasantly as she reached in and pulled out one of the individually wrapped balls of chocolate. Miku gasped a bit and blushed all the more, her gaze averting shyly as Luka played with the tiny sweet between her fingers. It was so like her, to playfully tease something before taking it all in. She unwrapped the piece slowly and pressed the now naked chocolate to her lips, leaving it there to soften against her warm skin before finally allowing it to pass through into her mouth. It was just one, little chocolate, but watching the simple act of Luka eating something she had put all of her feelings into made Miku's body grow hot.

"I-Is it good?" She asked dreamily.

"Very." Luka sweetly smiled. "I can taste all of the love you put into these." As she spoke, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a bag of her own, which caught Miku by surprise. It was clear plastic, just like Miku's, and inside were several tiny, heart-shaped cookies, each one dusted with tiny, pink, crystalline sprinkles.

"I figured I'd make you some too, and we could share them together." She explained. "And, just so you know, I put all of my love into these, too." She gave Miku a playful wink, making the younger girl blush impossibly even more.

"W-Would you like to eat them on the roof, then?" Miku asked. She desperately wanted to be alone with Luka. All the things she wanted to do with her obviously couldn't be done in the hallway. Luka seemed like she was about to agree, but cut herself off.

"The roof's actually being used today." She told her. "Don't worry, I'm sure we can find somewhere else where we can be alone." She reached out and took Miku's hand, leading her down the hallway as Miku wondered just who in the world managed to reserve the roof. It must have been a big confession of love Luka had learned about, and whoever it was, she wished them the best.

* * *

"Gumi, are you here?" Kaito called as he opened the doors to the roof. She was easy to spot, standing right in the center of the roof with her hands behind her back. She met his gaze with an apprehensive stare, looking unsure and nervous, but at the same time confident.

It was difficult to read Gumi's thoughts, especially now, after what had happened the evening before. They'd met up in the shopping center and, without warning, she had shoved ingredients for chocolate on him and ran off without another word. Honestly, that had robbed Kaito of a lot of sleep, but he dared not mention it to anyone. A girl acting upset around him usually was something he could shrug off, but not this time. He had no idea what had made her upset, either, and he had brought the items she'd forced upon him to school just in case she wanted them back by some chance.

"Good, you're here." Gumi spoke in a serious tone, straightening up a bit as a light breeze blew past the two of them. "There's… something I wanted to ask you."

"What about?" Kaito asked, trying to peer around her to see what was behind her back. "What's that you've got- chocolate? Is it for me?" He smiled at her playfully, but Gumi seemed to be having none of his antics and took a step away from him, hitting him with an upset glare that peeled the smile from off his face. "Did I do something wrong again?"

"Again?"

"Well yesterday you ran off after you left me with your groceries, so I figured I must have done something to upset you." Kaito nervously scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry if it was the 'body' comment, but you don't normally attack me when I make those kinds of jokes."

"It wasn't that!" Gumi snapped, seeming to immediately regret how sharply she'd begun and softened her words a bit. "It's just… the other day, I tried to tell you that I loved you, but you cut me off! It made me realize you've never once told me that you loved me, you just make suggestive comments and pay me compliments…" Gumi's strong exterior began to melt even faster than she'd expected, and she found herself looking away the moment she felt the smallest hints of tears rush to her eyes. "I just… don't know if you even like me, or if you're just hung up on Miku! And it hurts because I like you a lot, Kaito! I… I love you, and you won't even let me tell you! I wish you'd just tell me instead of leading me along all the time!"

Without warning, the sudden, warm feeling of being embraced consumed Gumi, and she looked up with tear-filled eyes to find Kaito had wrapped his arms around her. She dropped the small bag of cookies she had been given by Luka and opened her mouth in shock- unable to say anything, but was able to produce more tears.

"I'm sorry." Kaito softly spoke. "I was… afraid."

"Bullshit!" Gumi sobbed, unable to push him away.

"It's the truth!" Kaito defended, pulling away just enough that he could look her in the eyes. Her bright green eyes had become more brilliant, enhanced by the salty drops that collected around the edges and in her eyelashes. "The last person I let get close to me… Miku… obviously didn't turn out so well. I was nervous and was afraid of it happening again. But… I really do love you, Gumi! There's no one else!" Gumi stood stalk still, allowing herself to be hugged once again as Kaito moved back in to tightly embrace her. Her arms hung limply at her sides to begin with, but soon, she found herself slowly raising them to embrace him back, a fresh flow of tears beginning to exit her eyes.

"Kaito… you… you idiot!" she cried as she buried her face against him. "You coward, you idiot! You made me feel this way for nothing!"

"I know, I'm sorry." Kaito sighed, resting his head on hers. "But I promise, I won't let you feel this way again. Even if I don't know what's ahead, I refuse to let you feel unloved." Gumi continued to sob, hiding her face against his body. "Here, I'll make it up to you. I've been getting chocolate all day, we can pig out on it together." Finally, Gumi pulled away, wiping at her tears with a smile on her face.

"God…" She mumbled, feeling a weight being lifted from her shoulders as she spoke. "…I love you, you idiot."


	26. Chapter 26: Tears

Train rides usually put Miku to sleep, with their steady "click,click,click", the mechanical whines that become some sort of lullaby and the way the cabin would rock back and forth adding to the effect. But now, she was more awake than ever before, and sleep was the last thing on her mind. Maybe it was because Luka was beside her, her body close enough to her that she could hear her steady breath and feel it against her skin. Maybe it was because she was helping the older girl study, helping her practice English with the help of flashcards. Or maybe it was because the two of them were taking a day trip to the college Luka was applying to so Luka could take the entrance exam. Miku wasn't even the one taking the exam, but she felt butterflies frantically and furiously fluttering around her stomach. Luka's nerves were her nerves, it seemed.

That being said, Luka didn't seem all that concerned about the exam. She seemed just as pleasant as always, fluently speaking cryptic English back to Miku with each card flip, not seeming the least bit stiff or worried. Maybe, Miku was simply being nervous for the both of them- someone had to be. She remembered her entrance exams for high school, and how many countless hours of sleep she lost and how withdrawn she became because of studying. The only time she actually allowed herself to relax was when she found out she had passed, but Luka seemed to be content even before the exam had begun.

The two of them had arranged to take the two-hour trip to Luka's possible future college together, despite the fact Luka had assured Miku she'd be perfectly alright alone. But the very thought of Luka being alone during such a dire time made Miku's stomach flip, and she insisted. It didn't take much pestering to make Luka change her mind, of course, and when she finally gave in, Miku was finally able to find solace that she'd be with her- but only for a day or two before the trip. Now she was back to worrying silently as she stammered each word on every flashcard, unable to be comforted even by how close Luka sat to her.

"Y-You're really good at English, Luka!" Miku complimented, trying to cut through the tension that only she could feel and lighten the mood a bit. "You probably wouldn't even have to study it if you didn't want to." Luke turned to her companion and laughed, ruffling her hair.

"You flatter me." She said with a smile. "I'm only as good at English as I am because I studied. If I stop now, I'm sure I'll lose all the skills I've acquired." That being said she reached out to the collection of cards Miku had in her grasp and gently took them from her, allowing their fingers to brush against each other as she did. "But I guess we could take a little break. You're probably exhausted."

In truth, Miku should have been very tired indeed. The two of them had stayed up all night the night before, helping Luka study, among… other things. Luka's rewards for finishing a subject and doing them well were quite exhausting by themselves. They'd finally given themselves to sleep when the dark night sky had begun to become pink with the oncoming sunrise. But Miku was so overcome with nerves, that she could hardly will herself to rest her eyes.

"I-It's okay, I'm fine!" Miku assured her, digging through the bag her and Luka had prepared, full of study materials. "We can move on to something else, if you want- history, music theory?" Luka was silent in response, so Miku continued to list as she looked to the older girl for an answer. "Or math, or maybe-" She looked beside her, coming to find in that short span of time, it was Luka who had decided to give in to her own exhaustion and sleep. Miku expelled a tiny laugh, as not to wake her sleeping lover, and slipped what few papers and cards she'd pulled out of the bag back inside and gingerly removed the English flashcards from Luka's hands.

Luka seemed just as beautiful asleep as she did awake. With her eyes closed, Miku could marvel at how long and elegant her eyelashes were, and her full, pink lips were parted just slightly, just asking to be kissed. There was no way Miku could join her companion in sleep, no matter how much she tried, so instead she lifted her head and gently pressed her lips against Luka's, bidding her a quiet, "sweet dreams". After all the work she had put in to get this far, she deserved that much and then some.

Luka slept the rest of the train ride while Miku continued to elude even the slightest yawn. She watched as the nighttime scenery whizzed by the windows and the commuters on their train slowly thinned out until it was just her and Luka in the cabin. There was something heavily melancholy about this train ride, sitting there with Luka now leaning against her shoulder. They were going to the place that Luka would possibly leave her for. They both were making the trip that Luka would someday soon make alone. This would be the trip that would, inevitably, separate them.

'Luka?' Miku had wanted to ask her companion terribly. 'Are you worried about the future at all?'

The conductor announcing their stop drove Miku from her solemn musing, and as the train slowly screeched to a halt into the station, Miku lightly jostled Luka awake. As much as she loved the vision of Luka lost to slumber, it wouldn't be very smart to miss their stop just for that reason. The pink-haired girl mumbled sleepily, slowly opening her eyes as the fluorescent station lights filtered in through the cabin windows. Blinking a few times, Luka rubbed at her eyes, just as the train emitted an exhausted hiss and the doors slid open.

"Luka, we're here." Miku half-whispered. She lovingly nuzzled her, and Luka responded with a sleepy moan and a smile as she lazily nuzzled the younger girl back.

"Sorry, I guess I fell asleep." She mumbled with a yawn as the two of them got up. Miku allowed her companion to lean on her as they disembarked shortly before the train doors slid closed and the mechanical behemoth let out a screech before pulling away, leaving the two girls in the empty train station. Miku looked around curiously at the dark surroundings just outside the station while Luka removed a paper from her pocket where she'd written down both the address of the school and the business hotel they'd be staying for the night.

From what she could see through the haze of the overhead lights, the area Luka's potential college was located seemed a lot more quiet then where they had come from. There was a substantial lack of sounds of traffic, and there were only a few twinkling lights that could be seen from the station- which was quite small compared to the one they had departed from. The train station in the city had multiple places where trains would pull in, and was a maze of different sections and small businesses set up in the underground. The station here only had one place for trains, one track for trains traveling north and another for traveling south. It was a simple set up built above ground, indicating that not a lot of people traveled to and from this place. Just local people and college students.

"It's really quiet here." Miku mentioned, looking around. Her voice echoed around them, now that there was no other noise to trump her. "It's like being in space."

"It sure is." Luka agreed, pocketing the piece of paper and looking around herself. "The hotel and the campus aren't too far from here, so we shouldn't get lost." After looking out into the night, she turned back to Miku with a soft smile. "Let's go, before it gets even later." Miku nodded and took Luka's outstretched hand as the two of them left the station and walked out into the darkness.

Even without there being a filter of light pollution to stare through, there still weren't that many visible lights. There was a small bunching of them where Luka and Miku were heading, but besides that, the town they had arrived in was dimly lit and quiet, ideal for studying. Most of the buildings around were small, family run businesses, farms and the occasional newly built house that seemed out of place against the mostly rural backdrop. But even with there being very few street lights and the air around them being eerily silent, there wasn't a sense of fear anywhere in the air.

That being said, Miku still was abuzz with nerves. She hoped Luka didn't take notice to how sweaty her palms were, or how she'd taken to biting her lip the closer they got to the campus. The apprehension of the coming day was filling her with dread. And, just like before, Luka seemed perfectly calm, gently holding her hand and walking with her head held high as they finally passed the dimly-lit campus. It was surrounded by an iron fence, and seemed like an older building rather than a more modern one.

"It's an all-girl's school." Luka mentioned when she noticed Miku was staring at the elaborate looking building that seemed menacing in the dark. Miku jumped, not having expected Luka to speak up. "They have a regular curriculum, but they're mostly known for their vocal program, which I'm applying for. They say it's the hardest of their programs to get into, and once you're in, it's a rigorous journey." Miku turned to Luka, who was now looking at the building with a look of anxiety on her face. Finally, she seemed a little overwhelmed by the gravity of what was to come… and it only made Miku feel worse.

'Luka?' Miku desperately wanted to ask again. 'Are you worried about the future at all?'

"I'm sure you'll get in, don't worry." She ended up saying instead, resting her head against Luka's shoulder. "You've studied really hard and you're an amazing singer. Everything will be fine, I know it!" She was rewarded with a gentle pat on the head as Luka ran her nails lightly along her scalp.

"I'm glad you're here, Miku. No one else has told me anything like that this whole time." She said with a warm smile. Miku wanted for her to elaborate, but after she spoke those words, Luka fell deathly silent and continued to move forward, taking Miku with her. And she very much wanted to continue to sooth Luka with her words, but she couldn't seem to conjure them up. Both of them were nervous now, tension sealing their mouths shut as they made their way to the business hotel.

What a horrible time so suddenly not be able to talk. Her and Luka should be treasuring each moment together now that they were in the home stretch that led to Luka's eventual graduation. Every moment between them should be filled with love, and every silence should be filled with sweet nothings and deep, moving talks between the two. But now, in the darkness of the small town, the two girls couldn't bring themselves to say anything at all. For the first time in a while, it seemed they were far apart even when the two of them were so close together, hand in hand. Miku would occasionally look to Luka, and vise-versa, but they could only steal quick glances, not wanting the other to see how sad they looked.

'Luka?' Miku revised the question in her head as they finally made it to the small town center. 'Are you worried about our future at all?' She opened her mouth, ready to actually speak those words, but they never came. The two of them remained in total silence the rest of the trip –stopping at a convenience store to pick up a few snacks before finally finding their way to the business hotel.

It was even more quiet inside the building than it was outside- just the whirr of air conditioning and the ringing in Miku's ears from the painful silence. She looked back outside through the large windows of the lobby, trying to imagine what it would feel like to live in this town alone. She tried to picture what life would be like for Luka, far away from her home and from her, in this tiny, quiet town where no one seemed to visit. It was just her imagination, but even so, it felt incredibly, overwhelmingly… lonely. Hand over her heart, it took everything in Miku's power to keep herself from crying.

"Miku, let's head up to the room." She heard Luka call from behind her, waving the cardkey in the air to signal her over to her. Miku drew in a sharp breath, trying to shake herself out of the melancholic haze she had placed herself in and followed after the older girl, eventually meeting her at the elevators.

"I'll study for a little bit longer, but you can go to bed, if you want." Luka told her as they waited for the mechanical doors to open for them.

"N-No, it's alright, I'm really not that tired." Miku assured her with the most convincing smile she could muster. "I'd rather stay up with you than go to bed." Luka would have responded, but a soft "ping" interrupted her as the brass double doors slid open before them.

"Mmm." Was all Luka could say now, with a light nod, as the two of them stepped in, returning to being silent. And now, the both of them had positioned themselves on opposite sides of the tiny compartment as the deep whines and whirrs from outside filled the pregnant silence between them. They both looked to the doors, waiting for them to open again instead of looking at one another. Miku was just barely able to catch a glimpse of Luka's expression before they arrived on their floor, and looking at it caused a lump to grow in her throat. She looked incredibly sad, even in the presence of the person she loved the most. Why wasn't she reaching out to her, why wasn't she talking to her at all? But then again, why wasn't Miku doing the same thing?

'I don't want to burden her with how worried I am.' Miku thought as the two of them walked out onto their floor. 'She has enough on her plate right now…'

Things felt even more suffocating when the two of them walked into the room. Luka went straight to the bed, setting down the plastic bags with a noisy rustle and began searching through her bag full of study materials. Miku wanted badly to ask Luka if she needed her for anything, but held her tongue as she, too, dropped her bags on the ground.

"L-Luka…" Miku managed to force out, and the pink-haired girl looked up at her with a gaze that stung- not from how angry it was, but by how depressingly sad it was. It stole the words from Miku's mouth, and made the lump in her throat grow all the more- choking her with nothing but a glimpse. "I-I'm going to take a shower and freshen up, okay?" Luka merely nodded, and turned back to one of the textbooks she brought. Miku's heart sank as she stood in the tiny corridor, watching Luka flip through pages and run her fingers through her long, pink locks. She was withholding words and tears just like Miku, but neither of them wanted to let them loose.

'I want to hold her so much…' Miku thought as she finally stepped into the bathroom. 'I want to hug her and kiss her and comfort her… But right now Luka needs to focus more than ever. Won't that take away from her studies?' She slowly stripped herself of her uniform, allowing it to fall messily at her feet onto the tile. Looking back at her reflection in the mirror, she came to find her face looked exactly like Luka's had, and a stray tear finally made its way from her eye down her cheek. 'Won't that make us parting more difficult?'

Miku's shower was hardly a shower. She didn't even open the complimentary shampoo and conditioner, and didn't even bother to unwrap the bar of soap. She simply stood under the steady flow of warm water, looking up into the suffocating stream as she let the water hide her tears. In the past, she'd tried to and succeeded in ignoring the fact that Luka would be leaving, telling herself she'd be alright even without her by her side and that she would be able to stay strong. But now, in the face of the ultimate challenge, Miku wondered if she'd be ready.

'I've talked and talked about how I'd be able to live with Luka being so far away, assured everyone that I'd be able to live off my feelings for her alone…' She thought as she choked back a sob. 'Two years… two whole years… I don't want to be away from her for a second, let alone two years!' She rested her forehead against the tiled walls, as well as a balled up fist as she quietly cried.

'I want the best for Luka… but I don't want her to go!'

Miku left the shower only when she was forced to, feeling hopelessly dizzy from being under the stream of hot water for so long and equally emotionally drained. She hardly bothered with drying her hair or redressing herself. She simply wrapped a towel around her damp form and stepped out of the bathroom, looking down at her feet.

What in the world she say to Luka? That she knew she'd studied so hard, but she wanted her to throw it all away just so she could remain by her side? It sounded horribly selfish, but part of her wanted to with all her might.

'Luka?' She thought to herself, tears welling up in her eyes as steam from the bathroom drifted past her and out into the cold hotel room. 'Are you worried about me at all?'

A quiet, heart-wrenching sound tore Miku from her thoughts. It was hard to make out at first, but the more she heard it, the clearer it became: Sobbing. With a start, Miku stepped lively away from the bathroom doorway and out of the corridor to find Luka with all of her study materials laying around her and none of them getting her attention. All she had were her English flashcards tightly grasped in her hand as she covered her face. Miku could just barely see what word was visible, but she'd seen the cards so many times she knew what word it was just by a few letters.

Beloved.

"I don't want to go!" Luka heavily sobbed, not even having to look up to know Miku was now in her presence. "This place is so quiet and unfamiliar… All I'll think about is you, and it will drive me insane! I'm… I'm afraid!" For once, Luka let her walls come down. It was a rarity to hear Luka say she was scared for their future- usually she seemed so sure that they'd remain strong even while apart. And now, that moment had hardly begun to arise and she was shaking and sobbing uncontrollably, like a child. It was more than surprising to see that Luka was just as worried- just as afraid- for their future as Miku had been.

"Luka…" Miku muttered as her own tears began to slip past her eyes again as she walked over to her crying lover. She was wet, and dampened both the materials they had brought and Luka's clothes, but neither of them seemed to care as Miku brought Luka into a warm (and soggy) embrace. The two of them held one another, only able to cry in each others arms. There were so many words both girls wanted to say, but they devolved into sobs and quiet wails. Miku rested her head against the top of Luka's, while the older girl buried her face into her chest. Luka wrapped her whole body around Miku, not just her arms. Her legs entangled themselves around hers, and she pressed her body desperately against her body, still wet and warm from the shower. Every single action begged Miku not to leave her, and cried that she didn't want to leave her side.

"I-I'm sorry… I'm just making things difficult." Luka finally managed to say once their crying had died down a bit. "All this time I've been telling you we'll be fine, and how worried I am about what you'll do without me… when really I was worried about myself. I probably sound pathetic…" She lightly sniffled, unwrapping her hands from around Miku to hide her face in her hands. "Leaving you and coming here… is terrifying. I've hardly had a taste and all I want is to give up!"

"This… might sound bad… but I'm glad you feel this way, too." Miku spoke softly with a slight hiccup, pulling Luka closer to her. "I kept on saying I'd be able to love you, even at a distance, but I kept on worrying about it. In dreaded the day you planned on leaving, and I'd have to wear a fake smile to keep you from realizing I'd lied all this time."

"Miku…" Luka sobbed, face still hidden in her hands. Slowly and gently, Miku released her and cupped her companion's cheeks and lifted her head so that she looked up at her through the gaps between her fingers. At first, the older girl closed her eyes in shame, trying and failing to turn away as she buried her face into her hands. "What are we going to do?" At first, Miku didn't know how to answer. There was the obvious, selfish answer that would keep Luka beside her, but deep down she knew that wasn't correct. She wanted the very best for Luka, and no matter how much it pained her to say it, using Luka's emotions to her advantage and keeping her from a possible bright future wasn't the right thing to do. She let even more tears slip from her eyes as she readied her words.

"You're going to take the entrance exam tomorrow, and then you're going to graduate and become a more beautiful singer than you are now." Miku told her, watching as Luka's hands slid from her face in surprise. The both of them were still crying, but now Luka's expression held a look of shock, and Miku looked back at her with a warm, unforced smile. "And I'm going to study my butt off so I can join you." Luka's face contorted a bit before more tears began to flow and another sob escaped her lips, and in watching the spectacle, Miku couldn't help but do the same. "And, in the end, the both of us are going to be much stronger!" Her last words became mixed with her tears, becoming almost overwhelmed with emotion as the two girls embraced again.

"I guess… the real test isn't the exam." Luka shakily laughed, using one hand to try and dry her tears. "It's going to be the future, isn't it?"

"Luka…" Miku had ran this sentence through her head many times, but, like usual, she changed it. "I know you're worried about the future… but there's going to be a future where I'll be by your side again! I want you to move toward that future, and not even think of the one where the two of us are separated." As she spoke, all her apprehension slowly began to lift like the last tendrils of steam rising from her wet body. "Just keep your eye on the future where I'm by your side, and don't ever look away!"

"I won't…" Luka paused, releasing one, final sob before giving Miku a tearful, but confident smile. "I promise, I won't ever look away!" After she spoke, she leaned up, lips slightly pursed as Miku leaned in close to her, allowing their lips to meet.

_Let's not treat this like you're leaving me. Let's treat this like me following you shortly behind._

The kiss deepened as Luka fell back onto the bed, taking Miku with her. Her towel unraveled from around her body and sank to the floor, leaving Miku bare, but she paid her nudity no mind as she crawled onto the bed, continuing to passionately kiss Luka's lips. The older girl's hands explored her naked form, and Miku shuddered with delight as she migrated from Luka's lips to Luka's neck and pulled her uniform out of the way so she could continue down to Luka's collarbone. She would kiss her lover everywhere that night, and leave her with the memory of her lips indulging in every inch of her to keep for the exam and until the day they reunited after her graduation.

That night, that quiet business hotel became a love hotel.

* * *

Ritsu heaved a long, cleansing sigh as he clapped his hands together and bowed his head. The morning Gakupo was meant to take his exams, he'd made a trip to the nearby shrine to pray for his doing well. No one else was there, so it allowed for him to make a nice, long prayer to the gods. If he was going to pray for Gakupo's acceptance into his school of choice, he wasn't going to make it vague. It was definitely the type of prayer Gakupo would like, that was for sure: specific and not leaving anything to chance.

As he prayed, however, the sound of quiet chattering broke his concentration- though he chose to keep his hands together and his head bowed. Whoever was making the sounds seemed to take notice to him, and dropped their talking to a hushed whisper as they slowly tiptoed up the steps to the shrine. The light, pitter-patter of money being thrown into the donation box, the reverent clang of the bell and the quick sound of clapping hands reached Ritsu's ears, and he finally forced himself to open one eye, at least, and look over to just who was now praying beside him.

It was the two twins –Rin and Len, was it?- who were friends of Miku. Normally, the two of them were rather rowdy and loud, but now, in the presence of such a holy place, even they were quiet and reserved as they, too, offered up a prayer. But what were they praying for, exactly? Miku wasn't taking exams… Ritsu waited patiently, hoping his own prayer had been enough while he waited for the twins to lift their heads so he could do the same- looking like he'd just so happened to finish his prayer the same time they did.

"You better have done it right." Rin spoke sternly to her brother as the two of them began to turn and leave. "I saw you throw in that five yen coin. That better have been a damn good prayer."

"Sorry, I literally don't have any larger coins on me!" Len defended. "I really don't think the gods care about how much money you give them anyway, so long as your thoughts are sincere." He cupped his hands lazily behind his head while his sister glared at him.

"Hey, wait up!" Ritsu called, running after them and meeting the twins at the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh, hey, it's man-skirt." Len commented, the friendly slur earning him a smack on the head from Rin.

"Don't mind him, he's always being rude." Rin groaned. "So, you came here to pray, too?" Ritsu nodded.

"For Gakupo. He told me I didn't have to, but I wanted to do it for my own peace of mind." He told them with a soft smile as the three of them continued their trip away from the shrine. "What were you two here to pray for? Miku isn't taking any tests, right?"

"Not really." Rin shrugged. "Miku told us to come here, actually, and pray for Luka, but we figured it wouldn't work if we came her and asked the gods for her good fortune if we'd been told to." Len nodded in agreement, nursing the spot where Rin had struck him. "So, we decided to pray for the both of them to be at ease. They're going to be separated for two whole years, so they're going to need everything they can get."

"Yeah, Miku doesn't like to talk about it, but she's been worrying about her and Luka being separated for a while now." Len added before turning to his sister and threatened, in a hushed tone, that acts of violence on holy ground would get her cursed.

"Yeah, she talked to me about it before Valentine's." Ritsu told them with a nod and a smile. "But, you know, those two are good at overcoming obstacles. It's nice for you to pray for them, but I'm positive they'll be just fine."

"So long as Miku doesn't screw up again, huh?" Len joked, earning himself a swift kick to the behind from Rin. "H-Hey! Stop it! I don't like hitting girls, but I'm not above beating up my own, abusive sister."

"Bring it, wimp!" Rin challenged, taking a fighting pose while Ritsu quietly laughed to himself.

Miku's worries had been very apparent about her and Luka's future, but he was certain, just like he'd said, they would be fine.

* * *

There was nothing for Miku to do but wait. Sitting on a bench on the campus, she looked down at her feet, drawing lines in the gravelly walkway as she heaved a sigh. It wasn't because she was stressed, or nervous, but simply because she was tired. Her worry and nerves had left her the night before while she was wrapped tightly in Luka's arms. There was no reason to worry about how well Luka would do on her exam, and there was certainly no reason for her to worry about their future- not anymore. There was only hope- and the feeling that her eyelids were growing heavier by the second. Finally, it seemed, Miku could give herself to sleep.

In the distance, she could hear students of the college pass by, gawking and laughing when they spied her. They all spoke nostalgically about how Miku's presence reminded them of their own high school days, and jokingly wondered who she belonged to.

'I belong to Megurine Luka.' Miku thought calmly to herself as she finally began to feel herself drift off into dreamland.

"Miku!" The cheery, breathy voice of her lover tore her from her potential slumber. Miku snapped awake, looking up at Luka who looked winded, like she'd just run a marathon, but had a wide smile on her face. The exam, it seemed, had gone completely fine. There wasn't a hint of fear or anxiety anywhere on Luka's face- only love. "Sorry I made you wait so long, it looked like you were falling asleep."

"Yeah, I guess I was, huh?" Miku laughed, rubbing her eyes as she slowly rose to her feet.

"Don't worry, you have the whole train ride to sleep." Luka assured her, reaching out and running her fingers along Miku's cheek. Miku smiled warmly as she rested her hand on Luka's, nuzzling against it. Her companion laughed, using her other hand to pat Miku lovingly on the head. "You best get all the sleep you can, I got a message from Gumi about a party she wants to throw when we get back. She's already acting like she passed her exams."

"Let's hope she does." Miku nodded as the two of them joined hands and began to leave the campus. "Let's hope you all do." Luka turned to Miku and smiled in silent thanks. And as the two of them passed through the campus gates, Miku looked to the old-style college building and smiled. She was no longer afraid of Luka leaving her for this place. She'd be coming to join her soon, after all.


	27. Chapter 27: Butterflies

_How fast it seems did transpire the multitude of days…_

Miku looked up at the tree branches above that were now full of buds and the beginnings of leaves. Spring was finally beginning to arrive, sending a warm feeling that melted away the bitterness of winter spiraling through the air. She could catch glimpses every now and then of tiny, pink petals just barely poking out among the newly waking greenery.

There was a certain energy that seemed to pass through the air that kept Miku light on her feet as she walked. Maybe it was because spring was finally showing its face after such a long, cold winter, or maybe it was because it was the last day of the school year. So many things were coming to a close, and, at the same time, so many other things were about to begin. Cheerily, Miku hummed the graduation song the choir club had practiced under her breath, turning the corner as if she were dancing.

And there, before her eyes, was Luka, who didn't notice right away that her companion had arrived. Her hand was gently outstretched as she reached to catch a stray petal that had left its branch a bit too early. And as she caught the tiny, pink petal in her hand, she turned to see Miku, slowly approaching her with a smile on her face that she more than eagerly returned.

"Morning." Miku greeted softly.

"Good morning." Luka happily responded. They stood before one another for a brief moment, staring into one another's eyes. Today was the day everything would change, possibly for the better. Luka had been accepted into her college of choice, and the day before had appointed Miku as the new vice president of the choir club. They'd spent the last few days packing Luka's things, happily reminiscing, kissing, embracing, crying… Everything led to this day, and there was no turning back now. That being said, both girls faced the day, and each other, with a smile.

"Let's go, it wouldn't be wise for us to be late to the ceremony." Luka softly laughed, reaching out and taking Miku's hand.

"Wait a second!" Miku interrupted, taking Luka's hand and pulling her towards her. Luka let the petal she'd captured be swept away by the warm, early-spring wind as Miku pressed her lips against hers. They lingered there for a moment, their lips pressed together, filling one another with a loving warmth. Luka only dared to pull away when Miku did so, breaking the kiss she had initiated with a shy-looking smile on her face.

"What was that for?" Luka asked with a chuckle. Miku licked her lips before grinning at the older girl lovingly.

"No reason, I just wanted to kiss you." She explained. Truly, she wanted to steal every kiss she could from Luka before they had to part ways. She wanted the sensation of Luka's lips pressed against hers to last, and the only way to do so was to kiss her as many times as possible, even if it was for no reason, out of the blue. Luka obviously didn't seem to mind.

The two of them silently walked down the street, hand in hand, occasionally looking to one another and smiling. Somehow, the day where Luka would depart, off to start living her dreams, wasn't a sad one at all. There was no doubt in either of their minds that tears would be shed, but in the end they would leave the school grounds that day with no regrets- no wishes that they'd done more, or said one last thing. Today, they would move forward with their heads held high, starting with the walk to the school- the same one Miku had frantically run down on her first day of school, where she had met Luka for the first time.

"Do you remember the day we met?" Miku dared to ask when the school just barely came into view. Luka thoughtfully looked upwards before chuckling to herself.

"You know, you've never really asked me that, but I remember it like it was yesterday." She laughed, looking to Miku with a heartfelt gaze. "I remember watching you fall, and how flustered you were looking through your bag for something to cover your banged up knee. I didn't realize it was you until I came over to help, and it took everything in my power not to reach out and hug you. You looked back at me in awe, like I was some beautiful stranger, so I restrained myself, and acted the part of 'beautiful stranger' and helped you out. I hoped I would see you again, but I never dreamed that day that it would lead to all of this."

"I'm sorry I didn't recognize you then. It had been so long." Miku apologized. "But, if it's any consolation, I couldn't get over how beautiful you were. You made me lose sleep, I hope you know." Luka beamed, giving Miku's hair a playful ruffle as the two of them lightly blushed.

_To think that simply sharing a handkerchief has led us here…_

The two of them lingered together in the courtyard of the school, reminiscing a bit longer until they parted- Miku walking to the auditorium, and Luka to her classroom. As they walked separate ways down the crowded corridor, Luka stopped mid-step to watch Miku's back as she migrated with the rest of the crowd to the auditorium. For the first time that day, Luka felt a twinge of sadness watching her lover walk away, but she turned around, able to feel Luka's gaze settling upon her. A simple smile and wave was enough to wash away the melancholy that had taken hold as Luka waved back, returning the smile before the both of them turned again to continue their journey apart.

Luka took the trip up the main stairwell slowly, losing herself to nostalgia with every floor she passed. This year, especially, would be one she'd remember the rest of her life. And just because it was finally drawing to a close didn't mean everything was ending for good. There were still many years to look forward to- years full of her lover's kisses and embraces- more years that would remain unforgettable until her dying day.

As she thought of this, she happened upon a single, small pink petal that must have been dragged in from outside resting upon the last flight of steps. Walking up, she bent down to pick it up, gently rubbing the velvety-soft leaflet between her fingers.

"Luka! There you are!" A loud voice pulled her from her thoughts as she looked up to see Gumi at the top of the steps, looking prouder than ever. "You sure know how to take your time, come on! We're about to head down to the auditorium to grace the underclassmen with our brilliant presence." She took a joking, over-dramatic pose, flipping her hair like she was some sort of star-struck celebrity. She'd had this sort of attitude draped over her since she got her acceptance letter, like no one else had passed them except for her. Kaito, it seemed, had gotten in as well, but he'd chosen not to make such a spectacle of it.

"I'm coming- don't pull a muscle now." Luka laughed as she joined her friend at the top of the steps, leaving behind the petal she had collected at the top of the guardrail.

"Oh, by the way, I'm totally throwing another party once the ceremony is over. My parents even agreed to slip a little bit of drink into the celebration, if you know what I mean." Gumi mischievously grinned as she mimed knocking back a glass. "How about it? You and Miku are more than welcome to come."

"Thanks, but I'm actually due to leave pretty soon after everything is over." Luka told her with a regrettable sigh. "It's the school's policy that I get settled as soon as possible, and classes for my section actually start earlier than everyone else's."

"What!? Jeeze, we can't even enjoy one last drink together? That's lame." Gumi pouted. "Not even Gakupo's school is expecting that of him, and that stuck up creep actually accepted the invitation to my party. The world really must be coming to an end if Gakupo can attend a party, but you can't."

"Sorry, I'd love to stay." Luka apologized, looking over to see Gumi had stopped and was wiping at her face in a distressed manner, making frustrated noises. She reached out and rested a warm hand on her distraught friends shoulder. "Don't worry. You can treat me to a drink the next time I come back on holiday, so you don't have to cry."

"I'm not crying!" Gumi denied, continuing to hide her face. "I just got an eyelash in my eye or something!" That being said, Gumi reached out and hugged her friend, continuing to keep her face from view by resting it against Luka's shoulder, who gave her a reassuring backrub.

"This isn't the end, Gumi." She told her softly as they were called into their classroom. "It's only the beginning."

* * *

The ceremony ran as usual, as it did every year, but despite their uniformity, Miku felt a flutter with excitement. She'd made sure to applaud with gusto as she watched Luka enter with the rest of her class. The older girl had noticed her display and returned her actions with a light, polite wave- while Gumi, on the other hand, found her in the crowd as well and held up the line of students to make a spectacle out of waving her arms at her with a goofy smile on her face.

Miku was on the edge of her seat, ready and willing to swoop out of her chair all throughout the ceremony as awards were given out. Gakupo was among the few that received an award- a sheet of paper meant for framing and bragging rights. He accepted the award- having gotten the highest grades out of his class (no surprise) - humbly, not making a show of things like the students prior had. Even on the last day of school, he hardly exuded even the least bit of excitement- just another day where he proved he was better than everyone else; business as usual.

"Now, we will have the school's choir club lead us in our graduation song." The principal announced, vacating the stage to make way for the club members. Finally, Miku proudly stood- the only first year getting from her seat and running to catch up with the rest of the members sitting closer to the stage.

"Yeah! Go Miku!" She could hear the familiar voice of Rin cheer at her back, and the harsh whisper of her brother, who hissed at her to sit down.

She was the last to join her fellow club members, scooting into her place among the group and looking to Luka, who was a few spaces away from her, and shared a warm, loving smile with her before turning to Miss Meiko, who joined them on stage. Before they began, she presented them with a proud smile, and a thankful bow, which was returned by everyone else in the club. They had put her through a lot that year than anyone else before had, the least they could do was return her gesture. Their teacher lifted her head, looking close to tears as she lifted her hands, ready to silently conduct them. Seeing Miss Meiko so overcome with emotion seemed to affect everyone else as they all attempted to clear their throats and wipe at their eyes before the first note.

_Oh dear teacher, whom we thank,_

_Admire and revere…_

_In these halls of learning_

_Through which we've passed many a year…_

_How fast it seems did transpire_

_The multitude of days…_

_But now at last, the time has come_

_To go our parting ways…_

As the song continued, Miku couldn't help but let a single tear slide down her cheek as she sang with gusto. She tried to compose herself, thinking to herself that she was the vice-president of the club now, and had to hold herself with dignity. But those thoughts did nothing, and she cried up until the end. It did her a little good, though, to see she wasn't the only one who failed to keep her eyes dry. The former vice-president was also drying her eyes and getting taunted by Gumi behind her (who had no room to talk with her watery eyes and damp cheeks). Not to mention the new president, Ritsu, seemed more overcome with emotion than the rest of them (the choir club would become a whole new beast with him at the helm that was for sure).

The ceremony lasted only a short while longer before they were all dismissed. The day would only last a little longer- just enough time for the third years to receive their diplomas and the younger students to receive their new shoe-locker numbers. Before the two of them parted ways again, Luka stopped Miku in the hallway, grasping at her arm and pulling her back. The two of them looked at one another's tear-streaked faces and laughed.

"My dad is probably going to pick me up after school." Luka informed her, taking out her handkerchief and reaching out to dab at Miku's still-damp eyes, like a doting parent. "But, would it be possible for you to meet me at the train station? I want it to be you who sees me off." Stowing the silky fabric away, she took Miku's hands firmly, giving her a pleading look. "I want your lips and embrace to be the last thing I experience in this town for the time being."

"Of course I will!" Miku told her, giving her an over-enthusiastic nod. "I'll even get their early!"

"Luka!" Gumi called over the crowd. "You can be all cuddly with your lover later!"

"I'm coming!" Luka shouted back, turning to Miku and kissing her gently on the cheek. "Six o'clock, alright? Don't be late."

"Okay." Miku said with a happy sigh as she felt Luka's hands slip from hers and watching as the older girl ran down the packed corridor to her impatient friend. She watched her as she vanished into the sea of bodies, resting her hand atop her cheek where Luka's lips had lovingly rested.

This would be one meeting, for sure, that Miku would not leave Luka waiting for her.

* * *

"So you _ARE_ going to Gumi's party?" Ritsu asked Gakupo in shock as the two of them began to leave the school grounds. "I mean, not to be rude or anything, but I didn't believe Gumi at first when she told me you were coming when she asked for me to attend."

"What? Did you honestly figure I wouldn't want to go?" Gakupo questioned, giving his younger lover a lightly scolding look. The redhead turned his gaze to the ground below in slight shame, rubbing the back of his head.

"W-Well, I just assumed… since you turned her down the last time she had a party." He stammered nervously. Gakupo sighed, resting a hand on Ritsu's shoulder to console him. Without even a word, he slid his hand slowly from one shoulder to another, his arm now around the younger boy. Ritsu deeply blushed, ever-so-slightly pressing himself up against Gakupo.

"I didn't attend last time because having a party before we even knew the results of our exams seemed like asking for bad luck to happen." Gakupo explained. "But now that we've passed and graduated, I don't see what one party could hurt, even if it's held by that hyperactive mosquito."

"Don't call her that, Gakupo." Ritsu playfully scolded before looking up and stopping in his tracks in surprise. Gakupo did as well, realizing who was waiting for them just outside the school gates.

"M-Miko!" Ritsu exclaimed. His mind wanted to deny it at first, but the girl who now pushed herself off the wall she was leaning against with a spring in her step and a smile on her lips was, in fact, Miko. She wore a new jacket- a brown one that matched her hair- with tufts of creamy fur poking out from the hood, waist and shorter sleeves. The hood was not drawn up over her head, no longer hiding her face in shadow. She seemed a lot more cheery than before- brighter, even, outshining the shy, dependent girl she used to be.

"Ritsu!" She cheered happily, running up to him but restraining herself when she got close enough. She kept her arms politely held behind her back, but embraced the redhead with her overjoyed gaze.

"W-What are you… I mean, not that I didn't want you to be here or anything, but-" Ritsu stumbled, tripping over his words.

"She just wanted to see you, is that wrong?" Ritsu and Gakupo looked from the beaming Miko to find she'd come with someone else- a certain silver-haired girl who gave them a glare that was permanently on her face.

"Tei, don't be rude." Miko surprisingly retaliated. "I'd be just as surprised if they showed up at our school." She turned back to Ritsu, a big smile on her face. "Don't mind her, she wanted to come along." Tei gave a quiet groan, but stepped beside her companion, giving Ritsu a good look up and down.

"Still as girly as ever, I see." She commented before her and Miko shared a look and she held her hands up in sarcastic surrender.

"Sorry to bother you, I just… wanted to come and show you how strong I've become." Miko admitted, a light blush alighting her cheeks. "It's all thanks to Tei- she really has a talent for tough love." She reached out and took one of her companion's hands, who hesitantly took it back and looked off in some other direction. It was a surprise to Ritsu to see Tei, of all people, acquire a blush on her own cheeks. "…And I guess I should thank you, too, for more or less pushing me out of the nest."

"Well, you certainly look happier than before." Gakupo made a surprise comment, causing the younger girl to look up at him in surprise. "That's the look of someone who's truly found someone all their own." Miko's look of surprise slowly slipped into a smile as she gazed up at the violet-haired boy.

"Yeah, I guess it is." She lightly chuckled. She reached up and brushed a lock of her chestnut-brown hair that had blown into her face. Ritsu watched her as she turned back to him in awe- not love-struck, but surprised that she had grown so much over less than a year. The shy, timid Miko truly had become stronger.

"Hey… Miko…" Ritsu hesitantly said, looking to Gakupo, as if for permission. "…Would you two like to come to a party?"

* * *

"Honestly, it's like you never leave this room or something." Haku looked up from a book she was reading to find Neru standing in the doorway of her room. She was still in the mental ward, but was due to be released any day.

"I just like being in here, it gives me a chance to think." Haku explained to her, setting her reading material on the bedside table between the two beds in the room. "…What are the flowers for?" She curiously pointed to the bouquet of lilies that Neru held casually at her side. She held them aloft, looking at them, at first, like she was just as surprised they were there.

"Oh, these? I had nothing better to do, so I figured I'd get you some." She explained nonchalantly, laying the bouquet on the table, next to Haku's book. It was a self-help book, one of many that had been given to Haku over the course of her stay. She'd accumulated a small library of the things that were lined up along her windowsill. "I mean, I figured- unless you actually didn't…"

"Oh, I did." Haku gave the yellow-haired girl a slight nod, a small, proud smile on her face as she turned her gaze to the floor as she draped her legs over the edge of the bed. "They even had a mock-ceremony for me today, though no one gave me flowers."

Haku had been allowed to take the entrance exams to her high school of choice while in the ward, and her diploma had been sent over by her school. There had been a lot of string pulling concerning the matter, but if anything it brought her and her parents- who were the masterminds behind convincing the school board to allow their daughter to do such things while in a mental ward- closer together. And that day specifically had been the first time in a long time her mother had actually hugged her.

"Well congratulations I guess. You're already infamous at that school for that stupid stunt you pulled, I hope you're ready for that." Neru warned her. She didn't have to ask, but she figured it was her high school Haku had applied to. The lack of correction proved her right. "You better not do any more crap like that again, or else I'll have to put you in your place."

"I-I won't, I promise." Haku assured her, reaching out to lightly run her finger along the smooth surface of one of the lily petals. "I'll just me a sad, gloomy girl, like I used to be."

"You know, about that, you seem a lot happier than usual lately." Neru commented, whipping out her cellphone the moment it buzzed and not even looking down as she flipped it open. She hesitated, though, not immediately replying to the message she'd received. "I don't think you're all that sad or gloomy anymore."

"Oh… I'm sorry-"

"Shut up, don't say dumb stuff like that." Neru sharply interjected. "No one should have to apologize for being happy."

* * *

The car ride to the train station had been a quiet one. Luka and her father had exchanged simple nothings when she had returned home- how her day had been, how his day had been, and so on- but other than that they really hadn't spoken a word. Luka had insisted that she could be chauffeured to the station alone, but her father wouldn't take no for an answer and came alone despite his daughter's assurances she would do just fine without him. That being said, neither of them spoke a word during the trip. Luka looked down at the suitcase pressed up against her legs (The rest of her things had already been shipped to the dorms) and restrained a sigh as the car pulled up to the station.

Was he even going to bid her goodbye?

The chauffeur came around and opened the door for her, and after waiting a few, short seconds, Luka took her baggage and stepped out of the car. Part of her wasn't surprised her father was seeing her off in silence, but she still felt the sting of sadness as she took the first steps away from the vehicle.

"Luka, wait." The cold voice calling out to her was somehow able to make Luka jump as she turned around to find her father getting out of the car after her. She couldn't find any words to say in response, though, and only looked back at him in semi-shocked silence, waiting for him to explain himself. Whatever it was, he seemed to be having a hard time getting it out, which was odd, especially for him.

"I just… wanted to tell you congratulations on graduating… I didn't have any doubts you'd make it this far." He began, and Luka figured that would be where he would stop and opened her mouth to accept his praise. However, much to her surprise, he continued, looking as if he were struggling to find just the right words. "And… while you have done several things this past year I wouldn't have done had I been in your shoes… I'm still very proud of you. You've made me very proud to be your father, now…" He paused, clearing his throat. "Now go out there and make yourself proud."

Tears sprang from Luka's eyes as she dropped her suitcase and wrapped her arms around her father. He embraced her in return as she cried on his shoulder, like she had done when she was only a child. He was a strict man who never would fully approve of some of the choices she made, but she was glad he was her father.

"I love you, dad." Luka softly cried. There was a short pause before her father responded with a voice overcome by emotion- no longer cold and reserved like it had been before.

"I love you, Luka."

* * *

Miku looked down at her watch before looking back into the hustle and bustle of the train station, trying to pick out a familiar face. She had arrived a long time before, seeing as she was much too energetic to simply wait around at home. Instead, she had opted to go down to the station much earlier than planned, waiting eagerly as she watched people and trains pass by. Luka was running a little late, and her train was due to arrive soon. At this rate, they would hardly have any time to talk.

"Luka…" Miku breathed, just as she heard a familiar voice calling back her name. She whirled around, finding Luka emerging from the crowd and running over to her. Her cheeks were flushed, like she had been crying, but she seemed perfectly happy. Miku held out her arms, welcoming the older girl into them as the two of them lovingly embraced.

"I'm sorry I'm late, I was just… saying goodbye." Luka apologized as she held her. "There's… so much I want to say to you… but there's hardly enough time to tell you it all."

"Then tell me them the next time we meet." Miku told her with a smile, pulling away from the embrace. A voice over the intercom announced Luka's train, and they heard it as it began to pull into the station- whining and clanking. "I can wait until then."

"Miku, I-" Luka began to say before the younger girl cut her off, reaching into her bag and pulling something bulky out. It was the prop they had used for their duet together: one of the headphones with a decorative butterfly wing attached. The wing was dyed the color of Miku's hair, and shone under the lights of the station.

"Here, Gumi helped me smuggle it out of the prop closet." Miku said with a smile. "Just a little something to keep you company." Luka softly chuckled as she gingerly took it, like it was some priceless, fragile artifact.

"Th-thank you." She smiled. "I'll treasure it- even if you did have to steal it." The two of them looked over to see the train slowly screeching to a halt beside them- the doors sliding open for passengers to disembark.

"I-I guess this is g-" Luka began to try and say before Miku pressed a finger to her lips. She looked back at the green-haired girl in confusion, waiting for an explanation.

"You don't have to tell me goodbye if this really isn't goodbye." Miku spoke with a warm grin. "Just… give me one, last kiss to live on for a while." Luka smiled back, leaning in close as Miku removed her finger from her lips. Without a word, she pressed her lips against Miku's, passionately kissing her for as long as time would allow. She wanted to indulge so much, but that would mean she would miss her train. So, regrettably, they drew apart as a call for passengers was announced over the intercom.

"Keep in touch!" Miku shouted as Luka began to depart. "I want to know everything, like I was still there with you, okay?" Luka raised her hand in agreement as she boarded the train, standing in the doorway as she spun around. In a rush of emotion, Miku ran to the doors as well, feeling tears finally begin to fall down her cheeks. The doors closed before them, and she pressed her hands up against the glass. Luka, who had also begun to cry, did the same as the train slowly began to move again.

"I love you!" Miku shouted as loud as she could, hoping that Luka would hear. Her pace had increased to a jog to keep up with the steadily moving train. And as she was forced to run faster, she watched as Luka mouthed back,

"I love you, too."

Unable to keep up, Miku pulled her hands away from the window and stumbled back, watching Luka and the train pull out of the station and into a tunnel. She stood and stared until the train had pulled completely out of sight, leaving Miku standing alone on the platform, her hair still blowing in a breeze left behind from the train. She choked back a sob and rubbed at her eyes, drying them before she looked out again with a confident gaze.

"This isn't goodbye." She told herself bravely. "This… isn't goodbye."

* * *

_Oh, how did that song go again? Like a flame that's burning so softly deep within my gentle heart…_

The scenery whizzed by the train windows, slowly changing from a clogged city landscape into something more rural. The first time she had made this trip it had been dark, and the second time she had been asleep, so it was a whole new experience to watch as the environment outside the train began to change.

Finally, after two long, years of waiting, growing and most especially studying she was finally making the trip she had dreamed about almost every night. So many things had changed, but her feelings still remained exactly the same, and even now her heart was beating like a child's the closer she got to her destination. It wouldn't be long now, soon she'd be back where she belonged: in her lovers arms.

Miku allowed herself to let go of her messily packed backpack for a moment to push up her glasses. Her eyesight hadn't grown too horrible- they were just something she just wore in class- but she wanted to see the reaction she would get wearing them. The ponytails she had worn high on her head as a first year in high school were now worn back behind her head, her long, green hair brushing against her back as she swayed with the train car.

She reflected on the years that had passed, prying her eyes from the windows as she closed them, escaping into her mind. Ritsu, who had graduated a year before her, actually applied to a fashion-design school that was in the same city as Gakupo's. The last message she had received from him was the beginnings of a wedding dress he had designed, so she imagined, with a smile, he and Gakupo were doing well. Gumi and Kaito always seemed to stop by- their school being in the same town as their high school- proving they were still together and that their individual majors left them with a lot of free time. Rin and Len refused to part, even in college, and regrettably couldn't follow Miku as well. Rin had suggested simply dressing Len in drag so he could apply as well, but it never would have worked. They were accepted to a school only a half-hour's train ride from Miku's, so obviously they had done the best they could to stay as close as they possibly could to their friend.

The choir club had flourished the two years Miku had been vice-president, and later on, with Ritsu's blessing, president. There was still a process to be accepted, but they welcomed many more members then they had before, and applying was no longer such a terrifying thought. They had even won the choir competition that year, and Miku was sure to message Gakupo about it and rub it in his face without a single regret.

Miku had left the club in the hands of one of her eager juniors, filled with hopeful and talented singers that wouldn't have applied otherwise had they kept the old, strict policies. The club would continue to grow without her now, in the hands of capable people she was sure would see the club into a fruitful future.

Stumbling a bit, Miku opened her eyes as the train slowly began to pull into the station she would be getting off at. Taking a deep, cleansing breath she reached down and grasped her bag before straightening back up and closing her eyes again. When those doors before her finally opened, she wanted the sight before her to be a complete surprise.

_So hold me close inside your arms, and save me from the rights and wrongs…_

The station's name was announced as the train came to a complete stop. Miku's heart wildly beat, and it took every inch of her will to keep her eyes closed until the doors finally slid open. And when she finally opened up her eyes, she came face to face with the person she had eagerly waited for two years to see- those deep, beautiful blue eyes looking back at her and pulling her forward. It felt as if her heart would leap right out of her chest- and those feelings caused her to leap right through the doors and into her arms.

_...I wanna love you eternally_

"Welcome back, Miku."

* * *

**Hello to all who have made it this far! As "Magnet" finally draws to a close, I'd like to thank everyone who has read, both here and on dA. This fic has only been up on this site for a month, but I actually started writing it in the summer of 2010, so it's been a pretty long and fulfilling process. I finally made it my goal to complete it by the end of the year, but really, my real motivation was all the reads and reviews this story has gotten here. To everyone who read and commented on the story, I give my deepest thanks. I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I hope you continue to look forward to future fanfiction from me. I'll probably start writing a new LukaxMiku story, just for you guys! Until then, thank you so, so, so, so much for reading and hopefully enjoying "Magnet". **

**~Zabu  
**


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